GIFT   OF 


THE  MILWAUKEE  COUNTY  SCHOOL  OF  AGRI- 
CULTURE AND  DOMESTIC  ECONOMY 


REPORT  OF  A  SURVEY 


MADE  FOR  THE 


MILWAUKEE  TAXPAYERS- 
LEAGUE 


BY 


WALTER  MATSCHECK 
Director  of  the  Wisconsin  Efficiency  Bureau 


MADISON,  WISCONSIN 
May,  1916 


THE  MILWAUKEE  COUNTY  SCHOOL  OF  AGRI- 
CULTURE AND  DOMESTIC  ECONOMY 


REPORT  OF  A  SURVEY 


MADE  FOR  THE 


MILWAUKEE  TAXPAYERS' 
LEAGUE 


BY 


WALTER  MATSCHECK 
Director  of  the  Wisconsin  Efficiency  Bureau 


MADISON,  WISCONSIN 
May,  1916 


5  MS. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS 


Chapter  Page 

THE  SURVEY  ITSELF 6 

I.     SUMMARY  OF  FINDINGS 7 

Lands,  Buildings  and  Equipment 7 

School  Records 7 

Students 8 

Enrollment  and  Attendance 8 

Course  of  Study 8 

Teaching    8 

Extension : 9 

The  School  Farm 10 

Finances 10 

II.     DISCUSSION  AND  RECOMMENDATIONS 11 

The  School  and  the  Community 11 

The  School  Farm 13 

Domestic  Science 14 

Students  and  Costs 14 

Shall  the  School  Be  Abolished 14 

III.  THE  SCHOOL  IN  GENERAL 16 

Organization 16 

History 17 

IV.  SCHOOL  RECORDS 18 

It  is  Recommended 19 

V.     LAND,  BUILDINGS  AND  EQUIPMENT 20 

Land   20 

Buildings    20 

Equipment    22 

Summary    24 

336425 


A   

Chapter  Page 

VI.     STUDENTS 25 

Homes 25 

Ages    26 

Previous   Schooling 26 

Farm  Experience 23 

Fathers'  Occupations 28 

Length  of  Time  Out  of  School 28 

Purpose  in  Coming  to  School 

Credits  and  Hours  of  Work 29 

Failures  and  Promotions 29 

Enrollment  and  Attendance 30 

VII.     GRADUATES    31 

VIII.     COURSES  OF  STUDY 33 

The  Three  and  Four  Year  Courses 33 

Other  Courses 36 

A  Suggested  New  Course 36 

IX.    TEACHING  STAFF 37 

Training 37 

Salaries 

Hours  of  Instruction 38 

X.     TEACHING 39 

Classroom  Observations 39 

Practices  to  Be  Discouraged 44 

Supervision  of  Instruction 45 

XI.  EXTENSION    47 

Work  Done 47 

Cost 

Summary    50 

XII.  THE  SCHOOL  FARM 51 

The  Farm  Proper 51 

Dairy 51 

Costs    52 

Can  and  Should  the  Farm  Be  Made  a  Paying  Propo- 
sition _                                                             53 


—  5  — 

Chapter  Page 

XIII.     THE  SCHOOL  FINANCES 58 

Financial  Reports 58 

History 62 

Receipts — Analysis 62 

Expenditures — Analysis     63 

Extension    63 

Per  Capita    Costs 67 

Dormitory  Costs 68 

Class  Costs 68 

Accounting 70 

Purchasing 70 

Budget  Methods  and  Procedure 70 

Summary  of  Finances 73 


THE  SURVEY   ITSELF 


This  study  of  the  Milwaukee  County  School  of  Agriculture  and 
Domestic  Economy  was  made  for  the  Taxpayers'  League  of  Milwau- 
kee. The  affairs  of  the  school  have  been  under  discussion  most  of  the 
time  since  its  founding  in  1911,  and  it  was  felt  that  a  thoro  investiga- 
tion would  clear  up  many  of  the  questions  which  were  being  asked. 

The  work  of  getting  the  information  and  writing  the  report  occu- 
pied the  time  of  the  writer  for  three  weeks.  Miss  Sara  Rivet  of  the 
Central  High  School,  Minneapolis,  assisted  in  the  work  of  class-room 
observation  for  three  days. 

Throughout  the  study  the  survey  had  the  co-operation  of  all  offi- 
cially connected  with  the  school.  The  County  Board  of  Administra- 
tion, the  superintendent  of  the  school,  and  his  assistants  were  all  very 
glad  to  help.  They  gave  information  and  records  freely,  and  were 
anxious  to  do  all  in  their  power.  The  Board  of  Administration  at  a 
conference  with  the  surveyor  unanimously  voted  that  they  welcomed 
the  study  and  would  gladly  co-operate  in  giving  such  information  as 
might  be  asked  for.  The  superintendent  of  the  school  went  over  the 
facts  used  in  detail  with  the  surveyor  and  has  approved  them.  This 
attitude  on  the  part  of  the  officials  has  served  to  expedite  the  work. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  report  to  give  all  the  facts  as  found  from  the 
study  of  the  records,  reports,  documents  and  from  conferences,  con- 
sultations and  observations.  Each  point  made  will  be  accompanied 
by  facts  verifiable  by  anyone  who  may  wish  to  study  them.  Student, 
financial,  and  all  other  such  records  may  be  obtained  at  the  school. 
Class  and  teaching  reports  are  based  on  the  survey's  own  observations. 
^0  officials  and  others  who  may  wish  to  verify  the  observations,  names 
and  classes  will  be  given  that  independent  observations  may  be  made 
if  desired. 


CHAPTER  I 
SUMMARY  OF  FINDINGS 


Lands,  buildings  and  equipment 

The  official  inventory  taken  in  October,  1915,  gives  a  total  invest- 
ment in  the  school  of  $345,963.84.  There  are  206  acres  of  land, 
four  main  instruction  buildings  besides  the  dairy  barn,  and  $40,000 
worth  of  equipment. 

The  buildings  are  more  than  sufficient  to  fill  the  needs  of  the  school. 
Class  rooms  and  laboratories  are  used  but  32%  of  the  time  during  the 
school  day.  The  smallest  room  can,  with  but  few  exceptions,  hold 
the  largest  classes.  The  school  could  very  well  have  gotten  along  if 
two  fewer  buildings  had  been  built. 

Equipment  is  equally  lavish.  The  statement  that  it  rivals  that  of 
many  an  agricultural  college  is  borne  out  by  observation  and  study  of 
the  equipment  inventory.  Tho  teaching  children  of  secondary  school 
age  ,and  preparation,  the  equipment  would  be  equally  well  adapted 
for  college  students,  and  is  far  beyond  that  included  on  the  average 
farm. 

The  expenditures  for  equipment  have  been  made  with  little  thought 
of  amount  of  use  to  which  purchases  would  be  put,  actual  need  for 
them,  or  the  pupils  for  whom  they  were  to  be  used.  There  is  one  cow 
for  every  five  boys  enrolled.  There  is  one  class  room  or  laboratory 
room  in  the  four  main  buildings  for  every  seven  pupils  enrolled.  The 
total  school  investment  is  nearly  $3,000  per  pupil  in  average  daily  at- 
tendance. 


School  records 

School  records  are  not  adequate  to  give  definite  information  on  many 
school  activities.  Extension  work  can  scarcely  be  even  estimated 
either  in  time  spent  or  in  cost.  Enrollment  statistics,  course  statistics, 
room  schedules,  are  only  partly  available.  Cost  figures  of  all  kinds 
are  in  very  bad  form.  The  profit  and  loss,  for  example,  on  the  farm 
could  only  be  determined  after  much  computation.  The  superintend- 


—  8  — 

ent  makes  no  report  of  any  kind  in  written  form  to  the  board  of  admin- 
istration. There  is  nowhere  any  place  where  a  citizen  can  quickly  get 
a  statement  of  the  financial  and  other  affairs  of  the  school. 

Students 

There  was  in  1914-15  a  total  enrollment  of  191  — 124  boys  and 
67  girls  with  an  average  daily  attendance  of  118.  59%  of  the  boys 
and  52%  of  the  girls  in  1915-16  came  from  the  city  of  Milwaukee. 
A  large  additional  percentage  came  from  other  cities  or  towns.  74% 
of  the  Jboys  and  70%  of  the  girls  are  of  ordinary  high  school  age.  18 
boys  and  9  girls  are  over  20  years  of  age.  A  majority  of  the  pupils 
have  only  an  eighth  grade  education  or  less  on  entrance  to  the  school. 
A  large  number  have  part  of  a  high  school  course,  but  only  a  few  have 
completed  or  gone  beyond  this. 

41,  or  34%,  of  the  boys  had  either  no  farm  experience  or  three 
months  or  less.  36,  or  30%,  had  one  year  or  more. 

The  children  come  from  the  families  of  the  working  man  and  of  the 
middle  class  man.  This  is  shown  by  the  list  of  fathers'  occupations. 
There  are  probably  no  pupils  who  come  from  wealthy  families. 

Enrollment  and  attendance 

The  enrollment  has  been  decreasing  steadily  since  the  first  year  of 
the  school — 1912-13.  This  year's  figures  are  not  yet  available  and 
it  cannot  be  definitely  stated  whether  or  not  there  will  be  a  further  de- 
crease. 

Courses  of  study 

The  courses  of  study  consist  of  a  three  year  and  a  four  year  course 
in  agriculture,  a  three  year  and  four  year  course  in  domestic  economy, 
and  special  courses — cooking  and  sewing  classes,  special  eighth  grade 
classes,  and  classes  from  the  Home  for  Dependent  Children.  The 
four  year  course  admits  to  the  University.  The  three  year  course  con- 
tains all  that  is  in  the  four  year  course  with  the  exception  of  the  aca- 
demic work.  The  addition  of  academic  work  allows  the  school  to 
give  the  equivalent  of  a  high  school  course  in  connection  with  the  agri- 
cultural course. 

Teaching 

Teaching  was  found  to  contain  examples  of  good  work  and  of  poor 
work.  No  teacher  or  class  was  judged  as  a  whole.  The  method 
used  was  to  report  what  occurred  in  the  classes  visited  and  to  point  out 


those  methods  or  practices  which  need  to  be  encouraged  or  discour- 
aged.     Practices  seen  which  violate  pedagogical  principles  are 

Book  open  before  instructor 

Constant  reference  to  text  by  instructor 

Lack  of  discipline 

Calling  on  pupil  before  asking  question 

Preventing  discussion  on  part  of  pupils  by  dragging  them  back  to 
text  or  answering  questions  which  other  pupils  could  answer 

Discouraging  questioning  on  the  part  of  pupils 

Instructor  doing  most  of  the  work 

Lack  of  explanation  by  instructor  of  work  he  is  doing 

Lack  of  correlation  between  laboratory  and  class — between  the 
work  of  different  classes 

Not  telling  pupils  what  they  are  doing  and  why 

Not  permitting  students  to  go  thru  the  whole  process  from  begin- 
ning to  end 

Distracting  the  attention  of  pupils  by  interruptions 

Lack  of  respect  for  teacher  on  part  of  pupils 

Cheating  by  pupils 

Indistinct  speech  on  part  of  teacher  and  pupils 

Overmuch  memory  work  and  insufficient  reasoning  by  pupils 

Lecturing  to  small  classes 

Supervision  of  instruction  is  either  inadequate  or  conducted  with- 
out the  spirit  of  helpfulness,  so  that  it  accomplishes  little  in  the  way  of 
eliminating  these  defects.  If  supervision  were  properly  conducted 
practices  observed  in  the  classrooms  could  not  continue. 


Extension 

Extension  work  is  unorganized  and  undeveloped.  The  largest  feature 
is  the  special  classes  conducted  at  the  school.  Work  which  is  done 
outside  consists  of  lectures  and  direct  aid  to  farmers.  The  latter  would 
take  the  time  of  one  man  for  two  days  a  week.  Yet  it  is  valued  in  a 
school  statement  on  the  basis  of  a  man's  full  time. 

The  special  classes  consist  largely  of  courses  in  domestic  science  which 
women  from  the  city  come  out  to  take  one  afternoon  a  week  during  the 
spring  and  fall  terms.  These  courses  with  a  series  of  lectures  in  the 
Milwaukee  Public  Library,  a  two  weeks'  summer  course  for  rural 
teachers  with  an  attendance  of  thirty,  and  some  lectures  at  social  centers 
constitute  the  greater  part  of  what  is  called  extension.  It  is  estimated 
that  these  activities  cost  one-sixth  of  the  total  operating  expense,  or  about 
$8,000.  No  definite  cost  or  time  records  are  kept. 


—  10  — 

The  school  farm 

The  farm  runs  at  a  profit  if  investment  is  left  out  of  consideration. 
But  how  much  of  a  profit,  and  just  where  it  is,  can  not  be  determined 
from  the  school  records  without  a  large  amount  of  work.  It  has  a  very 
desirable  location  as  a  farm  for  the  intensive  cultivation  which  prevails 
in  the  county.  Of  all  its  facilities — expert  advice  and  assistance,  the 
opportunity  to  teach  the  pupils  by  having  them  do  actual  work, — the 
school  is  not  making  the  best  possible  use.  It  returns  $10,000  gross 
receipts  annually  to  the  county  of  which  from  $3,000  to  $4,000  comes 
from  the  dormitory.  This  leaves  but  $6,000  to  $7,000  return  from 
the  farm,  dairy  and  poultry.  The  net  profit,  not  counting  interest  on 
investment  is  less  than  $1,500.  The  problem  to  be  worked  out,  which 
there  seems  to  have  been  little  effort  to  work  out,  is  how  to  so  utilize 
the  facilities  as  to  get  a  maximum  of  teaching  from  actual  farm  work, 
and  turn  in  at  the  same  time  a  substantial  profit. 

Finances 

The  cost  of  the  school  is  excessiye.  With  an  enrollment  of  1 9 1  and 
an  average  daily  attendance  of  118,  for  the  year  1914-15,  the  ex- 
penditures were  $52,590.02.  On  the  most  equitable  basis  of  figuring 
cost  this  is  $334.52  per  pupil,  or  $494.71  if  the  investment  is  consid- 
ered. Net  cost  (allowing  for  farm  receipts)  to  the  county  and  state  is 
$281.35  without  investment,  or  $441.54  with.  On  the  basis  of  total 
cost  (including  investment)  there  is  no  tendency  toward  reduction. 
In  191 2-1  3  it  was  $439.91;  in  191  3-14,  $463.96;  and  in  1914-15, 
$441 .54,  or  more  than  the  first  year. 

The  dormitory  is  not  run  on  a  business  basis.  It  does  not  have  a 
deficit,  but  this  is  because  investment  is  not  considered,  so  it  makes  little 
difference  whether  it  is  kept  full  or  not.  With  accommodations  for 
40,  37  was  the  highest  number  in  residence  at  any  one  time  this  year, 
and  the  present  number  is  20. 

Cost  by  classes  varies  from  $2.67  to  $26.32  per  hundred  student 
hours.  This  is  the  salary  cost  alone.  No  records  of  this  kind  are  kept 
or  worked  out  by  the  school. 

Budget  methods  are  very  rudimentary.  The  budget  as  submitted 
contains  nothing  beyond  requests.  These  are  approved,  with  a  few 
changes,  without  supporting  evidence  of  any  kind.  Among  information 
needed  and  not  given  is 

Past  expenditures — detail  and  summary 

Increases  or  decreases— detail  and  summary 

Reasons  for  changes 

Per  capita  costs 

Class  costs 

Farms  costs — expenses  and  sales 

Work  program  for  year 


—  11  — 


CHAPTER  II 


DISCUSSIONS    AND    RECOMMENDATIONS 


There  are  two  alternatives  open  to  the  people  of  Milwaukee  County. 
One  is  to  abolish  the  school,  as  has  been  moved  in  the  Board  of 
Administration.  The  other  is  to  improve  work  and  lower  cost  so  that 
the  people  receive  a  more  adequate  return  on  the  investment  made.  In 
the  following  discussion,  which  embodies  the  conclusions  and  recom- 
mendations of  this  study,  these  two  alternatives  should  be  kept  in  mind. 
If  the  arguments  presented,  together  with  the  detailed  facts  which  fol- 
low, prove  to  the  citizens  of  the  county  that  the  school  fills  no  useful 
place  in  the  community,  or  that  it  can  not  do  so  at  a  cost  which  is  rea- 
sonable, then  the  course  to  follow  is  to  abolish  the  school.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  it  proves  that  the  school  fills  a  useful  place  and  work  can  be 
so  improved  and  cost  so  reduced  as  to  justify  its  continuance,  then  the 
school  should  be  continued.  The  one  course  that  should  not  be  fol- 
lowed is  to  permit  the  school  to  run  on  the  present  basis. 

The  school  and  the  community 

Milwaukee  County  is  not  to  a  very  large  extent  an  agricultural  county 
on  account  of  the  fact  that  it  includes  Milwaukee — Wisconsin's  largest 
city.  The  farming  that  is  done  is  chiefly  dairying  and  market  garden- 
ing. The  place  of  a  school  of  agriculture  in  such  a  community  would 
be  to  teach  this  kind  of  agriculture  and  to  improve  this  kind  of  farming. 
It  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  this  was  the  purpose  in  view  when  the 
school  was  established.  For  training  boys  in  dairy  work  and  for  truck 
garden  work  there  is  obviously  an  opportunity  in  this  county.  Is  the 
school  meeting  it?  Dairy  work  is  stressed  more  than  truck  gardening. 
Neither  are  made  the  prime  purpose  in  a  boy's  course.  The  emphasis 
is  placed  rather  on  the  general  educational  value  of  agricultural  training, 
its  value  as  a  preparation  for  life.  It  is  this  which  led  to  the  adoption 
of  the  four  year  course.  It  was  felt  that  some  incentive  was  needed  to 
induce  boys  to  stay  in  school  for  three  years  or  more. 

Here  lies  the  difference  of  opinion — is  it  the  purpose  of  the  school 


—  12  — 

to  train  boys  to  be  farmers,  or  is  it  to  train  them  to  go  into  other  work? 
Is  its  purpose  specific  or  general?  If  specific,  then  the  work  should  be 
made  more  specific.  If  general,  is  there  any  reason  for  the  equipment 
provided  for  specific  work,  and  is  a  cost  which  is  excessively  high  for 
agricultural  training  at  all  justifiable  for  general  training?  It  seems 
safe  to  assume  that  the  purpose  in  establishing  the  school  was  to  train 
boys  to  be  farmers  and  to  better  farm  conditions.  It  is  also  safe  to  as- 
sume that  the  boys  in  mind  as  beneficiaries  were  chiefly  farm  boys.  It 
has  been  asserted  that  the  purpose  was  to  give  the  city  boy  a  chance  to 
learn  agriculture  if  he  so  wished,  but  it  is  hard  to  believe  that  this  is  to 
any  great  degree  a  "back  to  the  farm"  movement. 

If  the  school  was  established  to  reach  the  farm  boy  it  is  failing  in  its 
purpose.  71  of  121  boys  come  from  Milwaukee  City,  25  more  come 
from  other  large  Milwaukee  County  industrial  centers.  Of  the  re- 
maining 25,  part  come  from  cities  and  towns  outside  of  the  county  and 
a  part  come  from  small  towns  or  farms  within  the  county. 

15  of  24  boy  graduates  are  now  doing  some  kind  of  agricultural 
work.  What  becomes  of  the  large  number  who  never  graduate  is  not 
known,  except  that  it  is  stated  that  most  leave  school  to  go  to  work,  and 
of  these  many  go  to  farms. 

The  school  if  it  is  to  do  its  best  work  must  get  a  larger  proportion  of 
boys  who  have  done  and  who  expect  to  do  farm  work.  It  may  be  that 
this  is  not  possible.  Every  summer  faculty  members  are  sent  out  in  the 
field  seeking  students,  and  so  far  they  have  not  succeeded  in  preventing  a 
decreased  enrollment.  The  city  supplies  the  majority  of  the  pupils. 
So  far  as  the  survey  could  learn  the  early  criticism  that  the  boys  who 
came  from  the  city  were  the  "bad  boys"  and  "outcasts"  of  the  town 
does  not  hold  true  at  present  to  a  very  great  extent,  tho  it  is  probably 
true  that  there  are  some  of  these  boys  in  attendance. 

Not  only  must  the  school  get  a  larger  enrollment  of  farm  boys  but  it 
must  get  a  larger  total  enrollment.  The  buildings  and  equipment  are 
extensive  enough  for  a  much  larger  number  of  pupils.  So  long  as  a 
plant  large  enough  to  accommodate  300  to  400  runs  with  1  1 8  the  cost 
must  be  excessive.  If  enrollment  were  increasing  the  outlook  might  be 
more  hopeful,  but  a  steady  decline  since  the  first  year  does  not  indicate 
that  the  school  will  be  used  to  capacity  for  some  time  to  come. 

The  other  phase  of  school  activity  in  relation  to  the  community  is  the 
extension  work.  Is  this  filling  a  useful  place?  There  is  no  doubt 
that  much  of  the  work  performed  is  of  value  but  the  total  amount  done 
is  not  large.  The  greater  part  consists  of  extra  classes  at  school  in  which 
effort  is  made  to  get  men,  women,  and  children  out  for  a  few  days  or  a 
few  weeks  of  special  instruction.  Women  come  from  Milwaukee  for 
cooking,  sewing,  and  millinery;  rural  teachers  come  for  an  eight  Satur- 


—  13  — 

day  course,  farmers  come  for  a  three  day  course.  The  members  of  the 
faculty  give  lectures  in  the  city  and  in  social  centers.  They  also  do  di- 
rect work  with  the  farmers  which  as  has  been  stated  would  take  the 
time  of  one  man  two  days  a  week. 

This  is  all  very  good  but  a  large  part  of  it  is  not  really  extension  at 
all.  The  real  extension  work,  out  around  the  county,  does  not  seem  to 
require  much  time.  This  may  be  due  to  lack  of  aggressiveness  on  the 
part  of  the  school.  It  is  more  likely  that  it  is  due  to  the  fact  that  Mil- 
waukee County  is  largely  industrial.  This  is  a  fact  that  must  be  faced. 
Agricultural  extension  work  must  necessarily  be  limited.  This  does  not 
mean  that  the  school  is  reaching  the  limit.  There  is  no  doubt  much 
more  opportunity,  but  it  will  require  effort  to  develop  it.  Farmers'  in- 
stitutes away  from  the  school,  a  short  course  in  special  agricultural  sub- 
jects, correspondence  work,  club  and  social  center  work,  farm  and  home 
demonstrations,  are  all  fields  for  development.  Extension  work  is  at 
present  carried  into  the  city.  A  course  of  popular  lectures  on  farm 
topics  is  given  in  the  public  library.  It  may  be  asked  whether  it  would 
not  be  more  productive  of  good  to  talk  to  seventy-five  farmers  on  an 
agricultural  topic  than  to  seventy-five  city  people. 


The  school  farm 

Even  though  Milwaukee  County  is  not  a  farming  county,  it  does  have 
dairying,  fruit  and  berry  growing,  and  truck  gardening.  It  is  along 
these  lines  that  the  school  must  develop.  So  far  as  it  emphasizes  any 
part  of  its  work  it  already  emphasizes  dairying.  The  dairy  work,  or- 
chard work,  and  garden  work  should  all  be  made  to  pay  a  part  of  the 
expense  of  the  school.  This  should  be  done  by  a  larger  use  of  student 
work.  The  teacher  who  cannot  inspire  the  pupil  with  a  sufficient  liking 
for  the  work  to  cause  him  to  feel  that  it  is  part  of  his  duty  and  education 
to  make  the  school  farm  pay  has  no  place  in  a  school  of  this  kind.  No 
more  has  the  pupil  who  does  not  take  sufficient  interest  to  want  to  learn 
by  actual  experience  how  to  make  a  farm  pay,  a  place  in  the  school. 
Here  lies  the  opportunity  of  the  school  if  it  has  any.  The  school  can- 
not be  conducted  along  the  lines  of  most  agricultural  schools.  It  has  a 
special  problem  in  location,  in  pupils,  and  in  work  to  be  done.  It  will 
have  to  meet  this  problem  in  a  new  way.  If  the  leadership  is  strong 
enough  and  the  vision  big  enough  it  can  work  out  a  successful  institution 
which  will  be  an  asset  to  the  community.  But  it  will  have  to  work  out 
each  problem  that  comes  up.  It  will  have  no  precedents  to  follow. 
And  the  first  step  will  be  to  break  away  from  many  old  ideas.  A  course 
coextensive  with  the  agricultural  year  should  be  a  suggestion  worth  trying 
out. 


—  14  — 

Domestic  science 

The  discussion  up  to  this  point  has  dealt  mainly  with  the  agricultural 
part  of  the  school.  The  reason  is  that  the  agricultural  part  is  the  most 
important  part  in  enrollment,  in  expenditures,  and  in  every  other  way. 
Domestic  science  teaching  in  this  school  does  not  have  a  special  problem 
to  the  extent  that  agriculture  has.  Its  main  work  is  to  learn  how  to 
connect  the  work  in  domestic  science  with  the  work  in  agriculture.  Girls 
take  very  little  work  in  agriculture  in  the  school,  tho  there  are  many 
phases  that  are  of  especial  interest  in  connection  with  domestic  science. 

Domestic  science  teaching  can  be  directly  connected  with  the  idea  of 
an  agricultural  school  suited  to  Milwaukee  County  needs.  Greenhouse 
instruction,  horticulture,  and  landscape  gardening  can  be  given.  Gar- 
dening, fruit  growing,  and  dairying  all  lead  to  the  home.  The  do- 
mestic science  department  can  work  out  methods  of  utilizing  the  products 
of  the  farm  in  a  way  which  will  be  of  benefit  to  the  pupils  and  to  the 
school.  Wisconsin  is  one  of  the  greatest  canning  states  in  the  country. 
Here  is  an  industrial-agricultural  opportunity  for  study. 

Students  and  cost 

Students  come  to  the  school  to  be  taught.  The  instruction  they  re- 
ceive is  expected  to  train  them  to  become  agriculturalists,  if  not  farmers. 
They  now  receive  instruction  which  for  its  cost  should  be  of  the  best. 
Specific  defects  have  been  pointed  out  elsewhere  in  this  report.  Here  we 
shall  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  it  is  possible  to  teach  a  practical  sub- 
ject in  an  unpractical  way.  This  can  be  overcome  by  more  outside 
work ;  by  giving  each  pupil  something  definite  to  do ;  by  giving  him  some 
responsibility;  by  making  him  part  of  the  whole  scheme  of  the  school 
and  showing  him  where  he  fits  in  this  scheme. 

That  the  school  is  not  increasing  its  attendance  indicates  that  the 
school  is  failing  to  impress  the  people  with  the  idea  that  it  can  make  it 
worth  while  for  them  to  send  their  children  to  it.  That  it  is  not  decreas- 
ing its  too  high  cost  indicates  that  it  is  not  giving  attention  to  the  fact 
that  it  is  a  public  institution  and  must  answer  to  the  public  for  its  con- 
duct. A  per  capita  cost  of  $442  is  a  cost  which  demands  a  reason  or 
a  lowering.  Even  the  highest  class  of  teaching  would  not  account  for 
it.  This  item  alone  will  justify  serious  questioning  by  the  board  of  ad- 
ministration, the  board  of  supervisors,  the  state,  and  the  taxpayers.  If 
this  cost  cannot  be  brought  down  to  a  reasonable  figure  the  school  can- 
not justify  its  existence. 

Shall  the  school  be  abolished? 

This  question  the  report  will  not  attempt  to  answer.  It  is  a  question 
which  the  county  authorities  and  the  public  must  decide.  It  is  the 


—  15  — 

function  of  this  report  to  give  the  situation  and  the  facts  on  which  to  base 
a  decision.  The  opportunities  for  improvement  and  lines  to  be  fol- 
lowed, the  places  where  improvements  are  essential,  suggestions  and 
recommendations,  are  given.  If  it  is  felt  that  on  the  showing  made  the 
school  should  continue,  it  should  be  allowed  another  chance.  If  it  is 
felt,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  school  fills  no  need,  that  it  cannot  be 
improved  to  the  point  where  it  will  be  justified  on  the  basis  of  work 
and  cost  it  will  be  abolished.  The  difficulties  to  be  overcome  may  sug- 
gest that  this  will  be  the  easiest  way  out.  But  there  is  a  possibility  of 
a  very  successful  institution  if  real  effort  is  made  and  real  thought  given 
to  the  subject. 

This  question  of  abolishing  the  school  has  been  discussed  at  such  length 
because  of  the  motion  made  in  the  board  of  administration  on  April  26th 
to  close  the  school  and  use  the  buildings  for  other  purposes.  If  it  is  de- 
cided to  do  this  there  are  many  uses  to  which  the  county  could  put  the 
buildings.  A  plan  has  already  been  suggested  in  the  board  of  ad- 
ministration. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  abolition  is  not  the  only  remedy.  If 
the  school  were  run  on  a  smaller  building  and  equipment  scale  there 
would  be  reductions  in  the  upkeep  expense.  One  or  two  buildings 
might  be  closed  if  the  county  could  find  other  suitable  use  for  them. 
This  reduction  could  be  accompanied  by  reductions  along  other  lines. 
Such  a  course  would  give  the  school  an  opportunity  to  grow.  If  it  is 
possible  for  it  to  increase  its  attendance  in  the  future  so  that  the  buildings 
would  all  be  necessary  they  could  again  be  made  available. 


—  16  — 


CHAPTER  III 
THE  SCHOOL  IN  GENERAL 


Organization 

The  Milwaukee  County  School  is  one  of  the  schools  established  un- 
der the  state  law  giving  state  aid  to  any  school  maintained  by  one  or  two 
counties  for  the  purpose  of  giving  instruction  in  agriculture  and  domestic 
science.  The  1915  legislature  limited  the  giving  of  state  aid  to  seven 
such  schools,  which  is  the  number  now  in  existence.  The  state  agrees 
to  pay  the  salaries  of  teachers  up  to  $6,000  a  year  for  any  school  where 
the  average  daily  attendance  is  less  than  1  12,  $7,000  where  such  aver- 
age daily  attendance  is  1  12  and  less  than  1  37,  and  $8,000  where  such 
average  daily  attendance  is  137  or  over.  Under  this  provision  the 
Milwaukee  County  school  received  $7,000  from  the  state  in  1914—15. 

Originally  each  of  the  schools  was  governed  by  a  "County  School 
Board"  consisting  of  two  members  appointed  by  the  county  board  of 
supervisors,  and  the  county  superintendent  of  schools.  This  system 
still  obtains  in  all  of  the  schools  except  the  Milwaukee  County  school. 
In  1915  a  state  law  was  passed  providing  for  a  "County  Board  of  Ad- 
ministration'* in  Milwaukee  County  which  should  have  charge  of  eight 
different  county  institutions,  one  6f  which  was  the  School  of  Agriculture 
and  Domestic  Economy.  This  board  consists,  of  five  members — three 
appointed  by  the  county  board  of  supervisors,  and  two  by  the  governor 
of  the  state.  They  hold  office  for  five  years,  and  receive  annual  salaries 
of  $3,000.00.  Provision  is  made  for  the  expiration  of  the  term  of 
office  of  one  member  each  year.  This  law  was  challenged,  and  a  de- 
cision in  which  it  was  upheld  was  rendered  by  the  Supreme  Court  of 
the  state  on  April  4,  1916. 

The  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction  and  the  dean  of  the 
state  college  of  agriculture  approved  the  course  of  study  of  the  school  at 
the  time  of  organization,  as  required  by  law.  The  school  makes  an 
annual  report  of  enrollment,  attendance,  and  finances  to  the  state  super- 
intendent. On  the  basis  of  this  report  the  superintendent  authorizes  the 
payment  of  state  aid. 


—  17  — 

History 

The  early  days  of  the  school  were  unhappy.  Due  to  lack  of  fore- 
sight or  insufficient  investigation  of  the  field  for  such  a  school,  it  started 
out  on  an  inflated  basis.  The  idea  of  a  county  institution  to  instruct 
in  the  practical  subjects  of  agriculture  and  domestic  science  took  deep 
root.  It  was  to  be  open  to  pupils  who  could  not  by  reason  of  lack  of 
training,  age,  money,  or  other  reason,  go  elsewhere.  As  is  often  true 
in  such  cases  no  thoro  investigation  was  made.  Instead  a  very  com- 
plete plant  was  built  and  then  by  "booming"  advertising  methods  a  large 
enrollment  was  built  up  the  first  year — 1912-13.  In  this  year  243 
pupils  entered.  That  this  was  not  what  should  have  been  normally 
expected  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  the  next  year,  1913-14,  the  en- 
rollment dropped  to  206,  and  in  1914— 15  it  went  still  lower  to  191. 
Average  daily  attendance  in  the  same  years  was  146,  135,  and  1  18. 
The  1915—16  figure  will  not  be  available  until  the  end  of  the  present 
school  year. 

The  present  superintendent  entered  on  his  duties  with  a  heritage  of 
over-expansion  and  a  school  debt  of  $10,000.00,  handed  down  to  him 
by  a  predecessor. 

This  brief  touch  of  history  is  given  only  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing 
a  background  for  a  clearer  understanding  of  present  conditions. 


—  18  — 


CHAPTER  IV 
SCHOOL  RECORDS 


In  making  this  study  one  of  the  main  difficulties  encountered  was  the 
lack  of  adequate  records  in  the  office  of  the  school.  In  this  respect  it 
is  like  many  small  schools  where  for  the  ordinary  purposes  of  the  super- 
intendent and  his  assistants  it  is  possible  to  keep  a  working  knowledge 
of  each  pupil,  of  buildings,  of  classes,  etc.,  in  mind  without  the  use  of 
detailed  written  records.  But  for  the  purposes  of  the  board  of  admin- 
istration, of  the  board  of  supervisors,  and  of  interested  citizens,  written 
records  which  tell  of  actual  conditions  are  a  necessity.  They  are  also 
necessary  for  the  superintendent  if  he  desires  to  make  a  written  report. 

Data  which  the  survey  could  not  get  at  all,  or  could  not  easily  get 
from  records  at  the  school,  follow 

Present  enrollment  of  students  by  courses 
Present  enrollment  of  students  by  subjects 
Place  of  meeting  (room  and  building)  of  classes 
(Except  by  working  thru   class   schedule)    courses,   number   of 
hours  of  class,  time  of  meeting  of  classes,  courses  of  each  in- 
structor 

Cost  and  expenditure  of  farm,  with  profit  or  loss 
Cost  and  expenditure  of  dairy,  with  profit  or  loss 
Cost  and  expenditure  of  cafeteria,  with  profit  or  loss 
Capacity  of  rooms  (class,  laboratories,  etc.) 
Amount  of  actual  work  required  of  pupils  on  farm,  in  dairy,  etc. 
Amount,  character,  distribution,  and  cost  of  extension  work 
Definition  of  the  division  of  powers  or  functions  as  between  the 
superintendent,  the  board  of  administration,  and  the  board  of 
supervisors 

Record  of  supervision  of  instruction 

Whenever  in  this  report  data  on  these  subjects  is  used  they  were  gotten 
by  slow,  roundabout  methods,  were  made  from  actual  observation  with- 
out records,  or  are  estimates  of  the  school  officers  or  the  surveyor. 

A  system  of  records  \vhich  will  make  it  easier  for  the  board  of  ad- 
ministration or  others  to  find  any  facts  they  desire  to  know  about  the 


—  19  — 

school   is   absolutely   necessary   for  the   efficient   administration   of   the 
school. 

It  is  recommended 

That  a  card  system  of  student  records  be  installed.  At  present 
there  are  enrollment  cards  which  are  seldom  completely  filled  out.  It 
should  be  insisted  on  that  these  give  all  the  information  called  for.  The 
record  of  pupils,  subjects,  marks,  credits,  date  of  entrance  and  gradua- 
tion or  leaving  school  are  now  typewritten  and  inserted  in  a  book.  A 
system  of  cumulative  records  sheets  on  which  marks  would  be  entered 
at  the  end  of  each  term  would  make  each  record  available  complete  at 
any  date  and  would  save  labor. 

That  reports  on  enrollment,  attendance,  classrooms,  and  hours  be  re- 
quired of  instructors  or  otherwise  obtained  and  filed  in  easily  accessible 
form.  Daily  attendance  records  are  kept  at  present  in  an  attendance 
book.  These  are  necessary  to  determine  average  daily  attendance. 

That  a  record  be  kept  of  all  extension  work  showing  time  spent,  cost, 
kind  of  work,  number  of  calls,  attendance  at  meetings. 

That  the  present  records  kept  by  the  farm  foreman  on  cost  of  farm 
per  field,  and  all  records  of  sales,  transfers  and  costs,  be  put  in  such 
form  as  to  show  definitely  cost  of  each  department,  and  especially  of 
farm,  dairy,  dormitory,  and  cafeteria. 

That  all  other  records  which  are  now  kept  only  in  the  mind  of  the 
official  or  officials  concerned  be  put  in  such  form  as  to  make  them  readily 
usable  by  others. 

Another  important  document  which  is  wholly  lacking  is  an  annual  or 
biennial  report  by  the  superintendent.  No  written  report  of  any  kind 
is  now  made  to  the  board  of  administration.  While  the  school  was 
governed  by  a  separate  board,  the  bookkeeping  was  done  in  the  school 
office  and  the  superintendent  made  a  quarterly  financial  statement  to  the 
board.  Since  most  of  the  bookkeeping  has  been  transferred  to  the  cen- 
tral office  no  report  of  any  kind  is  made,  except  such  as  is  sent  in  letters 
to  the  board  in  answer  to  inquiries.  It  is  recommended  that  the  super- 
intendent make  an  annual  report  to  the  board  of  administration  giving 
financial  records,  enrollment  and  attendance  figures  in  detail,  teaching 
force,  course  of  study,  improvements  and  changes  made,  new  work  or 
lines  of  work  added  or  planned,  graduates,  extension  work,  special  work, 
and  all  other  important  information  having  to  do  with  the  work  of  the 
school.  This  report  should  be  printed  and  made  available  to  the  pub- 
lic. Such  a  report  would  require  for  its  preparation  most  of  the  records 
recommended. 


—  20  — 


CHAPTER  V 
LAND,  BUILDINGS  AND  EQUIPMENT 


Land 

The  school  owns  206  acres  of  land  including  the  campus  proper. 
This  land  was  originally  purchased  for  $350  an  acre,  making  a  total  in- 
vestment of  $72,100.  The  farm  and  campus  are  located  about  a  mile 
from  the  city  of  Wauwatosa  and  5  miles  from  the  business  district  jf 
Milwaukee.  (For  use  of  farm,  see  Chapter  XII.) 

Buildings 

There  are  four  main  buildings  used  for  class  purposes.  In  addition 
there  are  the  dormitory,  the  power  house,  greenhouses,  dairy  barn,  poultry 
sheds,  and  other  small  buildings.  The  inventory  values  these  as  follows 


Administration  Building 

Dairy  Building 

Dormitory 


$212,000 


Farm  Mechanics  Building 

Horticulture   Building 

Power  House ! 8,400 

Dairy  Barn 5,000 

Brick  House 3,200 

Horse  Barn 1.250 

Others  _  4,027 


Total $233.877 

These  four  class  buildings  and  the  greenhouses  contain  23  class- 
rooms and  laboratories.  The  classrooms  seat  from  20  to  56  students 
each.  In  addition  to  the  classrooms  and  laboratories  there  are:  in  the 
Administration  Building — locker  room,  rest  rooms,  library,  practice 
home  (with  bed  and  bath  room,  drawing  room,  dining  room,  kitchen  and 
large  pantry),  gymnasium  (entire  third  floor)  ;  in  the  Dairy  Building — 


—  21  — 

music  or  assembly  room  with  chairs  for  1 60,  and  dairy  room  with  mod- 
ern machinery  occupying  the  entire  basement;  in  the  Farm  Mechanics 
Building — machine  shed. 

For  the  second  term  of  the  present  year  seven  classes  met  the  first 
period  Monday,  six  the  second,  six  the  third,  five  the  fourth,  nine  the 
fifth,  six  the  sixth,  nine  the  seventh,  and  nine  the  eighth,  or  a  total  of  5  7 
classes  daily.  To  carry  this  load,  for  the  whole  day  there  were  twenty- 
three  classrooms  and  laboratories  available  eight  periods  each,  or  184 
periods.  This  means  a  percentage  of  room  use  for  the  day  of  31  per 
cent.  On  Tuesday  the  percentage  was  32,  on  Wednesday  33,  on 
Thursday  32,  (one  period  was  given  over  to  assembly  and  is  not 
counted),  on  Friday  34.  There  are  no  classes  on  Saturday.  For  the 
whole  week  the  percentage  was  32  (total  number  of  periods  use  pos- 
sible divided  by  total  use  actual). 

For  the  first  period  throughout  the  week  the  percentage  of  use  was  33, 
for  the  second  period  32,  for  the  third  period  34,  for  the  fourth  period 
29,  for  the  fifth  period  34,  for  the  sixth  period  30,  for  the  seventh 
period  35,  and  for  the  eighth  period  31. 

None  of  these  figures  takes  into  account  the  work  which  was  done  out 
of  doors,  or  in  other  than  classrooms  or  laboratories.  It  does,  however, 
include  two  rooms  in  the  greenhouse  which  cannot  be  used  all  the  time 
because  an  insufficient  number  of  classes  use  greenhouses.  It  is  also 
true  that  in  some  laboratories  there  are  not  sufficient  drawer  arrange- 
ments for  full  use.  This  could  be  overcome  in  case  of  necessity  by  a 
system  of  lockers. 

Due  to  the  lack  of  complete  records  showing  in  what  rooms  classes 
meet  and  numbers  of  pupils  in  classes  it  was  not  possible  to  show  for 
each  room  and  building  percentage  of  time  used,   and  proportion  be- 
tween size  of  classes  and  seating  capacity  of  rooms.      For  a  number  of 
classrooms  and  classes,  however,  it  is  possible  to  show  this  proportion, 
and  the  random  illustrations  will  be  sufficient  to  show  the  general  relation 
One  classroom  with  seats  for  32  held  classes  of  13,  21,  6,  4 
One  with  23  seats  held  a  class  of  7 
Two  rooms  with  seats  for  20  and  32  held  classes  of  5,  10,  9,  14, 

8,  2,  12,22 

The  largest  class  had  an  enrollment  of  30.  The  smallest  classroom 
had  20  seats.  The  largest  classroom  had  56  seats.  There  were  only 
twelve  classes  (meeting  43  times  a  week  out  of  a  total  of  289  class 
meetings)  in  the  second  term  which  could  not  be  seated  in  the  smallest 
classroom. 

The  conclusion  seems  inevitable  that  the  school  has  more  room  than  it 
can  use.  After  providing  for  extra  rooms  for  all  purposes  including  rest 
rooms,  store,  practice  home,  locker  rooms,  music  rooms,  there  remain 


so  many  class  rooms  that  they  are  used  only  32%  of  the  time  during  the 
school  day.  Some  rooms  are  used  more  and  some  are  used  practically 
not  at  all.  Not  only  this  but  rooms  used  are  never  filled  to  capacity  or 
nearly  capacity. 

It  is  not  here  assumed  that  all  room  should  be  used  to  1 00%  capacity 
either  in  time  or  pupils.  100%  might  be  the  ideal,  75%  might  be  the 
possibility  in  the  average  school,  but  33%  shows  poor  foresight,  inade- 
quate previous  investigation,  and  extravagance. 

This  is  the  condition  which  exists.  Merely  from  the  point  of  view  of 
use  it  is  hard  to  see  what  can  be  done  about  it  unless  one  of  the  buildings 
can  be  used  by  the  county  for  other  purposes.  The  main  interest  in  this 
showing  will  appear,  however,  when  considered  in  relation  to  other  points 
to  follow. 

Equipment 

When  considered  in  relation  to  the  ages,  training,  and  purposes  of 
pupils  enrolled  the  equipment  of  the  school  is  very  extensive.  On  a 
smaller  scale  the  equipment  of  the  agriculture  department  rivals  that  of 
many  an  agricultural  school  of  college  grade.  In  domestic  science  it  is 
equally  lavish,  including  a  completely  furnished  practice  home  of  four 
rooms,  cooking  laboratory  with  all  supplies,  and  a  sewing  laboratory 
with  eight  sewing  machines. 

To  illustrate  agricultural  equipment  the  dairy  inventory  will  be  a  very 
good  example.  This  is  taken  from  the  complete  inventory  of  school  as 
made  October  8,  191  5.  To  save  space  only  the  larger  and  more  costly 
articles  are  given  here. 


No.         Article.  Cost. 

1  Milk  Fever  Outfit $6.00 

3  No.  1530  Tension  Bal 45 . 00 

1  50  Gal.  Dairy  Past.  Mixer  and  Starter  V.  &  T 121.50 

1  No.  1— 20th  Century  Heater 65. 25 

1  No.  4D  Disbrow  Churn 65.00 

1  100  Gal.  Or.  Ripener 150.00 

6  8  Gal.  Hercules  Milk  Cans 

1  50  Gal.  Haugdahl  Starter  Can 65.00 

1  Cherry  Tubular  Cooler 

1  C.  &  B.  Outfit,  2  Type  Al.  upright  brine  freezer 265.00 

20  Royal  Stein  29x  Ideal  Double  Boilers 8.00 

1  24  Bottle  Facile  Tester 

5  8  Bottle  Facile  Hand  Tester 

6  8  Gal.  Elgin  Cans  7"  neck 

66  Durand  Steel  Lockers  and  Fittings 251.85 

1  10  H.  P.  18,220  volt  60  Cycle  Inductive  Motor  with  Sliding 

Base     •  188 . 12 

Dairy  Motor  Installation 54 . 87 

1  7y2  H.  P.  865  RPM  Motor  with  sliding  base.     Paper  pulley 

and  starting  compensator  No.  457,753 166.25 

Installation  Ice  Machine  Motor 15.65 


—  23  — 

1  2  H.  P.  560  RPM  Motor  with  sliding  base  and  pulley  No. 

589484   91 . 80 

Installation  of  Motor 17 . 86 

1  Level  Hand  Butter  Worker 3 . 50 

1  400  Ibs.  D.  B.  Fairbanks  Scales 16 . 50 

6  8  Gal.  Milk  Cans 13.50 

1  No.  1  Up-to-date  Butter  Printer 3.20 

2  Doz.  30  Ib.  returnable  Butter  Boxes 5.00 

1  No.  2  Conical  Milk  Cooler 5.60 

Steam  Faucets  and  Connection  Testers 161.50 

1  Refrigerating   Plant    1,542.25 

To  furnishing  and  connecting  cork  insulation 487.00 

3  Wash   sinks    102.00 

3  Gal.   Lab.   Sinks 49 . 50 

Sterilizer     237.41 

Cheese  Marking  Equipment 63 . 73 

Stock. 

1  Guernsey     300 . 00 

1  Jersey    250.00 

1  Regis.   Holstein  Female 500.00 

1  Regis.   Holstein  Male 200.00 

1  Cow    100 . 00 

1  Grade  Holstein   125.00 

8  Milch  Cows    1,000.00 

3  Cows    380 . 00 

3  Holstein  Cows  275 . 00 

2  Grade  Holstein   Cows 180.00 

3  Grade  Holstein   Cows 300.00 

1  Poland    China    Sow 45.00 

1  Pure  Bred  Durve  Jersey  Sow 50 . 00 

1  Berkshire   Gilt  Bred 35 . 00 

5  Grade  Holstein  Heifers  1%  years  old 300 . 00 

1  Purebred  Holstein  Calf 100.00 

1  Purebred  Guernsey  Bull  Calf 75.00 

6  Grade  Holstein  Calves 180.00 

15  Shoats    100.00 

7  Little  Pigs  20.00 

The  total  cost  value  of  all  dairy  equipment  including  live  stock,  and 

items  not  here  listed  is   $10,274.47.  with   an   estimated  depreciation   of 
$801.96. 

The  library  of  the  school  is  not  so  complete  as  is  equipment  along 
other  lines.  It  contains  65 1  volumes  of  reference  books,  1 60  volumes 
of  general  reference  books  (academic  works,  dictionaries,  etc.)  263 
volumes  of  fiction,  and  a  large  number  of  text  books  which  are  loaned  to 
pupils.  About  40  journals  are  subscribed  to  regularly  and  these  are 
agricultural  and  trade  papers  in  large  part.  There  is  also  a  collection 
of  bulletins. 

The  total  estimated  present  value  according  to  the  inventory  of  sup- 
plies and  equipment  for  all  departments  is  $39,986.84. 

The  extensive  equipment  of  the  school  means  that  there  has  been 
plenty  of  money  available  for  almost  anything  that  was  wanted.  This 
encouraged  and  brought  about  extravagance.  The  work  along  the  same 
lines  in  other  schools  in  the  state  teaching  agriculture  with  a  fractional 


—  24  — 

part  of  the  equipment  would  tend  to  show  that  it  was  in  large  part  un- 
necessary. 

A  number  of  questions  arise  from  these  facts: 

1 .  In  order  to  teach  agriculture  to  boys  of  from  thirteen  years  of  age 
up,  a  large  proportion  of  whom  are  city  boys,  is  it  necessary  to  have  the 
equipment  of  the  most  specialized  farm  in  each  department? 

2.  Will  the  training  thus  given  teach  such  boys  the  methods  of  prac- 
tical farming,  or  will  it  tend  to  make  them  helpless  on  a  farm  without 
much  high-priced,  ready-made  equipment  at  hand? 

3.  Will  such  completeness  not  prevent  the  inculcation  of  habits  of 
self-reliance,  invention,  and  ingenuity? 

4.  Is  a  herd  of  38  necessary  for  a  school  enrolling  1 2 1  boys  in  the 
department  of  agriculture,  only  a  small  proportion  of  whom  take  dairy- 
ing at  any  one  time? 

As  in  the  case  of  buildings  this  reflects  on  past  methods.  With  the 
extensive  equipment  on  hand  nothing  additional  need  be  purchased  for 
some  time  to  come  even  with  a  large  increase  in  the  number  of  students. 
The  need  of  careful  investigation  of  all  requests  for  large  items  of  equip- 
ment is  apparent,  and  in  the  future  such  requests  should  be  allowed  only 
after  a  complete  demonstration  of  actual  necessity.  The  new  board  of 
administration  is  employed  for  full  time.  Devoting  their  full  time  it 
should  be  possible,  and  it  should  be  a  rigidly  enforced  duty,  for  them  to 
see  that  every  financial  request  they  make  of  the  county  board  of  super- 
visors represents  a  thoroughly  investigated  and  demonstrated  need. 

Summary 

The  total  financial  investment  represented  by  the  school  is 

Equipment  and   supplies $39,986.84 

Buildings 233,  877.00 

Land   .  72,  100.00 


$345,963.84 

On  the  basis  of  the  1 9 1 4- 1 5  enrollment  of  1 9 1  pupils  this  is  $  1 ,8 1  1 . 33 
per  pupil.  Using  the  average  daily  attendance  which  represents  more 
nearly  the  actual  attendance  at  the  school,  it  is  $2,931.05.  (For 
more  detailed  cost  data,  see  Chap.  XIII.) 


—  25  — 


CHAPTER  VI 
STUDENTS 


The  following  analysis  of  the  pupils  of  the  school  was  made  from  the 
1915-16  enrollment  cards  of  regular  pupils.  Wherever  for  any  stu- 
dent the  information  was  not  given  it  is  indicated  here  under  the  head 
"not  given". 

Home                                                                     Boys  Girls 

Milwaukee    71  (59%)  23  (52%) 

Milwaukee  EE 9  1 

Milwaukee    N 5  2 

Milwaukee  S 1  0 

Wauwatosa    9  6 

West  Allis   8  1 

Whitefish  Bay  2  2 

West  Bend  2  0 

Waukesha    2  0 

Medf  ord 1  0 

Plymouth    1  0 

Brookfield 1  4 

Milwaukee    Co 1  0 

S.  Germantown   1  0 

Waupaca    1  0 

Hales  Corners    1  0 

Shawano   1  0 

Dormitory     1  0 

Eacine  0  1 

Oconomowoc    0  1 

Pulaski    0  1 

Jackson  0  1 

Bayfield 0  1 

Chicago   2  0 

Marathon  Co 1  0 

121*  44 

This  shows  that  71  (59%)  of  a  total  of  121  boys,  and  23  (52%)  of 
44  girls  come  from  the  city  of  Milwaukee.  Two  boys  come  from  out- 
side of  Wisconsin  and  1  1  boys  and  1 1  girls  come  from  other  counties 
than  Milwaukee. 

*  Data  for  one  pupil  lacking. 


Ages 

Boys  Girls 

13    6  1 

14  11  8 

15  21  5 

16  21  8 

17  15  5 

18  15  4 

89   (74%)  31    (70%) 

10    13  2 

20    6  2 

21    5  1 

22    1  2 

23    2  0 

24    1  0 

25  or  over 3  4 

Not  given  1  2 

121  44 

89,  or  74%,  of  121  boys  and  31,  or  70%,  of  44  girls  were  of  ordi- 
nary high  school  age,  while  32  boys  and  1  3  girls  were  older.  The  point 
to  be  remembered  is  that  the  school  has  chiefly  pupils  of  high  school  age 
and  grade.  This  is  even  more  evident  from  the  next  table  which  shows 
that  only  three  boys  and  seven  girls  had  finished  a  high  school  course. 
That  is,  even  the  pupils  older  than  ordinary  high  school  age  have  gen- 
erally less  than  a  high  school  previous  training.  This,  of  course,  does 
not  mean  that  many  of  the  older  pupils  have  not  a  larger  and  more  ma- 
ture grasp  and  mental  development  than  the  average  high  school  pupil. 

Previous  schooling 

Boys         Girls 

Less  than  8th  grade 7 

8th  grade   47  23 

High    school    (indef.) 4  0 

1  year   18 

2  years 7 

3  years    4 

4  years    

Academy     2 

Marquette  Academy  3  years 

Marquette  Academy  and  Business  College 

Grades  and  Business  College 3 

3  years  high  school  and  University  of  Wisconsin  short 

course    1 

County  agriculture    5 

Not   given    19 

High  school  and  Normal 

College  2  years 

College  indefinite 1 

Indefinite    

121  44 


—  27  — 

The  state  law  providing  aid  for  county  schools  states  that  the  schools 
shall  be  open  to  any  pupil  who  has  completed  the  eighth  grade.  We 
find,  however,  that  7  boys  and  3  girls  had  not  completed  this  grade  on 
entrance  to  the  school.  The  superintendent  stated  to  the  survey  that 
such  pupils  were  admitted  if  they  were  mature,  had  been  out  of  school 
some  time,  and  were  not  likely  to  go  back  to  the  ordinary  school.  The 
annual  catalog  for  1915-16  states  that  such  students  will  be  permitted 
to  enter  on  trial  if  in  the  judgment  of  the  school  authorities  they  are 
mature  enough  to  carry  on  the  work  successfully.  The  records  of  these 
ten  pupils  who  gave  their  previous  schooling  as  less  than  eighth  grade  are 


BOYS 


H 

M 

a 

3 
O   •— 

I 

a 

'^ 

K-      O 

• 

1 

1 

3  3 

.2  => 

I1 

PH 

1 

si 

C   x 

08      *> 

IN 

11 

«  o 
m 

|| 
If     OH 

0    0 

a 

5  | 

15 

Milwaukee 

7th 

3Ag. 

2mos. 

Machinist 

No  yrs. 

Farmer 

17 

West  AJlis 

Not  quite  8th 

SAg. 

Life 

Gardener 

No  yrs. 

Farmer 

15 

Milwaukee 

7th 

SAg. 

None 

Bookkeeper 

No  yrs. 

Florist 

18 

Home  for 

7th 

3  Ag. 

None 

1  yr 

Hortic.  & 

Dep. 

a.  jr  i  . 

Floral 

16 

Wauwatosa 

7th 

SAg. 

Indef. 

Carpenter 

6mos. 

To  better 

education 

18 

Milwaukee 

6th 

SAg. 

1  summer 

5  yrs. 

Farmer 

14 

Milwaukee 

7th 

SAg. 

None 

Assembler 

No  yrs. 

Practical 

of  trucks 

farmer 

GIRLS 


14 

Milwaukee 

6th 

3D  S 

Butcher 

No  yrs 

HousehoM 

16 

Brookfleld 

Not  quite  8th 

3  Ag 

Life 

Farmer 

Since  June 

17 

Brookfleld 

Not  quite  8th 

3D  S 

Life 

Farmer 

3  yrs 

Four  of  the  boys  and  one  of  the  girls  state  that  they  had  not  been  out 
of  school  at  all.  Four  are  scarcely  above  eighth  grade  age.  The 
question  here  is  not  as  to  whether  or  not  people  of  this  training  should  be 
excluded  by  law.  It  is  very  probable  that  there  are  many  cases  where 
it  would  be  almost  an  injustice  to  keep  out  certain  applicants  for  this 
reason.  But  so  long  as  the  law  requires  eighth  grade  graduation  there 
should  be  a  very  good  justification  for  admitting  pupils  without  it.  Dis- 
regard of  the  state  law  might  endanger  the  allowance  of  state  aid. 


—  28  — 

Farm  experience  of  boys 

None    25 

3  mos.  or  less 16  (incl.  "very  little"  "1  summer")  41  or  34% 

Indefinite   7  (incl. ' '  some ' ',  etc.) 

4  to  6  mos 16 

7  mos.  to  1  yr 8 

Over  1  yr.  to  2  yrs..  12 

Over    2    yrs 24 

Not   given    13 

121 

41,  or  34%,  have  no  or  practically  no  farm  experience.  36  (30%) 
have  had  over  one  year  of  experience.  This  latter  percentage  probably 
represents  quite  closely  the  percentage  of  farm  boys.  If  anything  the  24 
(20%)  with  over  two  years'  experience  would  be  nearer. 

Father's  Occupation  (Boys) 

The  list  is  very  extended  but  many  occupations  are  closely  related. 
The  more  numerous  are 

Farmer,  14 

Carpenter  and  contractor,  5 

Storekeeper,  5 

Liquor  dealer,  5 

Salesman,  4 

Machinist,  3 

Cigarmaker,  3 

Among  the  remainder  with  only  one  or  two  representatives  each  are — 
foundry  superintendent,  structural  iron  worker,  decorator,  marble  pol- 
isher, millwright,  gardener,  clerk,  engineer,  wagon  trimmer,  blacksmith, 
railroad  man,  fireman,  teacher,  tilelayer,  real  estate,  bookkeeper,  peddler, 
factory  superintendent,  sexton,  tailor,  rural  mail  carrier,  etc.,  all  of  the 
same  general  nature.  For  the  girls  the  list  runs  along  the  same  lines 
with  the  farmer  predominating. 

It  appears  from  this  list  that  the  school  is  not  a  place  where  mainly 
children  of  the  well-to-do  go.  In  fact,  it  is  the  children  of  the  workers 
and  of  the  middle  class  who  make  up  the  entire  enrollment.  It  is  again 
shown  here  that  it  is  not  a  school  of  farm  boys  but  rather  of  city  boys 
who  for  one  reason  or  another  desire  the  training  the  agricultural  school 
gives. 

Length  of  Time  out  of  School 

53  boys  and  13  girls  did  not  fill  out  the  blank  asking  for  this  in- 
formation. Of  the  remainder  22  boys  and  1 4  girls  said  since  June,  or 
vacation,  or  three  to  four  months;  18  boys  and  2  girls  had  been  out 


—  29  — 

from  four  months  to  one  year ;  1 0  boys  and  1  1  girls  had  been  out  over 
one  year;  18  boys  and  four  girls  answered  "none". 

Purpose  in  Coming  to  the  School 

43  boys  did  not  answer 

47  said  to  be  a  farmer 

20  to  go  into  some  kind  of  agricultural  work  (kind  usually  stated) 

3  to  prepare  for  the  university 

3  for  practical  use 

1  for  general  preparation 

1  to  prepare  for  pharmacy 

1  to  prepare  for  engineer 

2  to  better  education 

121 

23  girls  did  not  answer 

1  to  prepare  for  college 

3  for  professional  purposes 

4  for  dressmaking,  millinery,  nursing 

1  3  more  effiicent  housekeeping,  D.  S.  training,  to  make  living,  to 
plan  and  design  a  home,  etc. 

44 

As  is  to  be  expected  in  a  school  of  this  kind  the  boys  have  in  mind 
some  kind  of  agricultural  work  as  their  future  occupation,  and  the  girls 
either  intend  to  prepare  for  better  housekeeping  in  their  own  homes  or  for 
such  work  outside  the  home.  It  is  noticeable  that  only  a  small  percent- 
age are  preparing  for  college.  Since  the  school  is  accredited  to  the  uni- 
versity it  is  probable  that  a  larger  number  may  go  there  if  they  find  it 
possible. 

Credits  and  Hours  of  Work 

Students  are  expected  to  take  from  1 6  to  20  credits  per  term.  This 
requires  a  little  less  than  30  periods  per  week.  The  actual  number  of 
periods  for  three  year  agricultural  students  averages  28.  In  the  four 
year  course  the  average  is  26  periods. 

Failures  and  Promotions 

107  boys  received  credit  for  1620  courses  in  1914-15.  These 
same  boys  failed  in  66  courses.  The  percentage  of  failures  in  total 
courses  was  4.  This  does  not  include  incompletes  and  conditions,  nor 


—  30  — 

the  work  of  those  who  dropped  out  without  completing  their  work.     Of 
the  66  failures  8  boys  received  35. 

21  girls  received  credit  in  267  courses,  and  failed  in  12  courses, 
the  percentage  is  again  4.  Three  of  the  girls  received  10  of  the  fail- 
ures. The  ratio  between  failures  and  promotions  is  the  same  for  the 
boys  and  the  girls.  This  is  unusual,  for  in  Wisconsin  high  schools 
girls  fail  less  than  boys  as  a  general  rule.  The  percentage  of  failures  is 
somewhat  less  than  that  in  high  schools  of  the  state. 

Enrollment  and  Attendance 

For  the  year  1914—15  the  total  enrollment  was  191.  The  enroll- 
ment cards  now  available  for  the  present  year  show  a  total  of  165. 
This  dees  not  include  short  or  special  courses  or  summer  course.  The 
average  daily  attendance  for  1914—15  was  118.  The  average  daily 
attendance  for  the  1st  term  in  1915—16  was  130,  but  this  is  probably 
larger  than  the  total  for  the  year  since  about  40  students  dropped  out  at 
the  end  of  the  second  term  to  go  to  work. 

For  1912—13,  the  first  year  of  operation,  the  enrollment  was  243 
and  the  average  daily  attendance  146;  for  1913-14  the  enrollment 
was  206  and  the  average  daily  attendance  128.  There  has  been  a 
constant  falling  off  from  the  high  mark  attained  the  first  year. 

The  average  daily  attendance  is  determined  by  adding  the  total  days 
attended  in  each  of  the  various  courses — regular  and  special — and  divid- 
ing by  the  number  of  days  in  the  term.  This  is  done  each  term.  The 
three  terms  are  added  together  and  divided  by  three  to  find  the  yearly 
average. 


—  31  — 


CHAPTER  VII 


GRADUATES 


30  pupils  have  graduated  from  the  school  since  its  organization,  8 
in  1914  and  22  in  1915.  The  superintendent  of  the  school  has  pre- 
pared from  his  personal  knowledge  a  list  of  their  present  positions.  No 
records  are  kept. 


1 9 14  class 

8  Boys— 1 
1 
1 
1 
1 

3  Girls— 2 
1 

79/5  class 

19   Boys- 


with  father  in  meat  business 

on  own  farm  in  Washburn  County 

in  milk  business  in  city 

on  own  farm  in  Illinois 

attending  trade  school 

married 

at  home 


back  in  school  preparing  for  Stout  Institute 
on  a  Guernsey  farm  in  Waukesha  County 
on  his  father's  dairy  farm 

on farm 

herdsman farm,  Wauwatosa 

back  in  school 

poultry  farm,  West  Allis 

cow  testing  for  the  University 
association  cow  testing 
in  partnership  with  brother  in  California 
with  American  Appraisal  Co.,  Milwaukee 

on farm  last  summer.      Now  back  in 

school  preparing  for  the  University 
at  Marquette  taking  medicine 
herdsman,  insane  hospital  farm 


on  father's  farm,  town  of  Granville 


3   Girh 


—  32  — 

teaming,  grading,  landscape  work 

farm,  Waukesha  County 

farm,  Wauwatosa 

teaching  domestic  science  and  doing  catering  work 
at  university 
at  home 


1 5   of  the  24  boys  are  now  doing  some  kind  of  agricultural  work 

9   are  back  in  school  or  doing  other  kinds  or  unknown  kinds  of 

work 
1  3,  not  including  those  in  school,  are  in  Milwaukee  County 

1 ,  of  6,  girls  is  teaching 

2   are  married 

2  are  at  home 

1    is  at  the  university 

4  are  in  Milwaukee  County 

A  careful  record  of  the  graduates  should  be  kept  showing  positions, 
salaries,  further  school  work,  and  any  other  items  of  interest.  What 
becomes  of  the  pupils  who  have  left  school  is  an  important  matter. 
They  should  be  kept  in  contact  with  the  school.  If  they  believe  that 
the  training  they  have  received  is  useful  they  should  be  encouraged  to 
get  others  to  go.  They  are  in  a  position  to  teach  communities  to  make 
greater  use  of  the  facilities  of  the  school  thru  meetings,  correspondence, 
help  in  problems,  and  in  any  other  matters  where  expert  help  can  as- 
sist. 

The  graduate  in  his  turn,  if  he  is  reached  by  the  activities  of  the 
school  will  try  to  help  the  county  realize  to  the  fullest  extent  returns 
on  the  investment.  The  graduates  and  their  work  are  only  one  of  tha 
products  expected  of  a  school  of  this  type,  but  they  are  an  important 
one,  and  can  be  made  a  very  efficient  means  of  developing  the  other 
products. 


—  33 


CHAPTER  VIII 
COURSES  OF  STUDY 


The  Three  and  Four  Year  Courses 

The;  county  schools  of  agriculture  were  originally  organized  to  give 
instruction  in  agriculture  and  domestic  science  to  boys  and  girls  who 
did  not  intend  to  go  to  college.  The  courses  were  planned  to  last  for 
two  years  and  they  were  not  intended  to  articulate  with  those  of  any 
other  institution.  Little  of  the  purely  academic  work  was  given. 
The  schools  were  vocational  schools,  teaching  the  subject  matter  nec- 
essary for  the  farming  and  home  vocations  with  no  regard  to  what  the 
rest  of  the  school  system  might  demand. 

This  independent  position  is  now  being  abandoned.  The  Milwau- 
kee County  School  has  not  gone  so  far  as  some  of  the  others.  It  still 
maintains  three  year  courses  which  do  not  prepare  for  college,  and  in 
which  a  majority  of  the  regular  students  are  enrolled,  but  it  has  estab- 
lished four  year  courses  which  add  to  the  three  year  courses  sufficient 
academic  work  to  admit  to  the  university  of  Wisconsin.  The  school 
is  now  on  the  accredited  list  and  is  subject  to  the  same  rules  of  the  uni- 
versity as  apply  to  other  secondary  schools  in  this  list. 

The  work  of  the  three  year  agricultural  course  includes  science, 
agronomy,  farm  mechanics,  botany,  dairying,  soils,  poultry,  horticul- 
ture, animal  husbandry,  farm  accounting,  farm  management,  economic 
entomology,  some  practical  English,  music,  civics,  American  History, 
bee  culture. 

The  four  year  course  adds  one  year  of  algebra,  one  year  of  me- 
dieval and  modern  history,  one  half  year  of  geology,  one  half  year  of 
commercial  geography,  one  year  of  geometry,  one  half  year  of  rural 
economics,  one  half  year  of  arithmetic,  one  half  year  of  elementary  eco- 
nomics, and  increases  English  to  three  years.  The  subject  of  Latin  is 
not  listed  in  the  catalog  but  was  given  in  the  second  term  of  this  year 
as  extra  work  to  a  class  of  seven  boys  who  petitioned  for  it. 

All  of  the  subjects  required  in  the  four  year  course  and  not  in  the 
three  are  for  the  sake  of  meeting  university  requirements.  The  school 
is  adjusting  itself  to  the  university.  Three  out  of  121  boys  declare 


—  34  — 

their  intention  of  going  to  the  university.  This  does  not  mean  that 
only  three  are  taking  the  four  year  course,  but  it  means  that  only  three 
are  taking  the  work  with  the  purpose  in  view  for  which  the  new  sub- 
jects were  selected.  To  the  remainder  it  makes  no  difference  whether 
when  they  graduate  they  are  entitled  to  enter  the  university  or  not. 
(The  exception  is,  of  course,  the  boy  who  may  change  his  mind  later, 
but  this  works  both  ways.  Moreover,  only  one  of  the  twenty-four 
boys  who  have  graduated  has  the  intention  of  going  to  the  university. 
He  graduated  from  the  three  year  course  and  is  back  for  the  fourth 
year.) 

On  this  showing  the  questions  which  arise  are — 

1.  Shall  the  school  be  made  an  agriculture  and  domestic  science 

high  school? 

2.  Granting  that  a  four  year  course  should  be  given,  are  the  sub- 

jects offered   for   the  additional   year  the  most  useful   that 
could  be  found  ? 

3.  Would  they  be  given  were  it  not  for  university  requirements? 

4.  Does  the  number  of  students  who  intend  to  go  to  the  university 

justify   requiring  all  others  in  the   four  year  course  to  take 
work  which  may  not  be  most  useful  to  them? 

The  pupil  who  graduates  from  a  county  school  of  agriculture  and 
domestic  economy  or  from  a  high  school  agricultural  course  has  a 
much  greater  training  in  this  work  than  the  ordinary  student  entering 
the  college  of  agriculture  or  the  department  of  domestic  economy  at 
the  university.  The  student  entering  agriculture  at  the  university  after 
four  years  at  the  county  school  will  either  have  to  duplicate  work,  take 
work  other  than  agriculture,  or  actually  be  doing  junior  work  when  he 
is  enrolled  as  a  freshman.  If  there  are  many  such,  adjustments  of 
curricula  will  have  to  be  made.  If  graduates  enter  other  depart- 
ments they  will  not  be  so  well  prepared  as  the  regular  high  school  stu- 
dent and  will  lack  language  requirements.  Moreover,  their  special- 
ized agricultural  training  will  not  be  of  much  value  to  them.  Thus 
the  attempt  to  articulate  with  the  university  seems  to  present  consider- 
able inevitable  difficulties. 

If  the  four  year  course  is  to  be  given  in  these  schools,  are  the  sub- 
jects in  the  extra  year  above  the  original  course  especially  adapted  to 
the  pupils  in  the  schools?  Some  of  the  additional  courses  can  un- 
doubtedly be  made  of  practical  value.  In  others,  the  advantage  is 
not  so  apparent.  It  is  said  that  a  broad  training  and  a  wide  founda- 
tion is  necessary  in  any  course,  even  a  very  technical  one.  The  ques- 
tion remains  as  to  whether  this  school  is  to  be  an  agricultural  high 
school  or  a  school  of  agriculture  giving  training  in  agriculture  without 
regard  to  the  requirements  of  other  institutions. 


—  35  — 

Before  the  four  year  course  was  established  at  the  Milwaukee 
County  school,  arrangements  were  occasionally  made  for  pupils  to  take 
desired  academic  work  in  the  Wauwatosa  high  school.  Would  not  a 
plan  whereby  pupils  could  take  all  their  academic  work  in  the  regular 
high  schools  be  feasible?  Arrangements  could  be  made  for  Wauwa- 
tosa pupils  to  take  such  work  for  one  year  in  the  Wauwatosa  High 
School,  for  Milwaukee  pupils  in  the  Milwaukee  High  Schools,  etc. 
Or  pupils  might  spend  a  small  part  of  their  regular  time  in  the  Wau- 
watosa High  School.  This  would  absolve  the  requirements  for  a 
high  school  diploma  admitting  to  the  university.  The  cost  of  instruc- 
tion in  high  schools  is  less  than  that  in  the  county  agricultural  school 
and  a  saving  would  be  effected.  Such  a  plan  would  require  an  under- 
standing and  a  method  of  co-ordination  between  the  county  school 
and  the  other  schools  concerned. 

A  common  criticism  of  the  agricultural  schools  is  that  their  courses 
lack  in  content,  that  there  is  insufficient  material  to  fill  the  large  number 
of  courses  and  make  them  "meaty."  If  this  is  true  of  the  Milwaukee 
County  School  there  could  have  been  no  excuse  for  a  three  year 
course,  to  say  nothing  of  a  four.  The  truth  of  this  matter,  however, 
can  only  be  determined  by  months  of  careful  classroom  observation 
and  a  thoro  study  of  the  content  of  each  course.  It  is  recommended 
that  the  board  of  administration  take  steps  to  learn  if  this  emptiness 
exists  in  the  subjects  offered.  If  it  does  it  should  be  eliminated  by 
combination  of  subjects,  by  shortening  the  course,  or  by  more  in- 
tensive work. 

The  argument  against  the  four  year  course  briefly  is: 

The  effort  to  make  a  high  school  out  of  the  county  agricultural 
school  is  a  perversion  of  its  function.  High  schools  should  teach 
agriculture  and  should  prepare  for  the  university.  For  the  boy  who 
intends  to  continue  agricultural  work  at  the  university  the  high  school 
work  is  sufficient,  or  can  be  made  so  without  cutting  too  much  into  other 
subjects.  The  county  agricultural  school  is  for  the  boy  who  wants  ag- 
riculture but  does  not  want  to  go,  or  cannot  afford  to  go,  to  the  univer- 
sity, or  to  take  the  previous  work  required  for  university  entrance.  He 
wants  to  substitute  the  county  agricultural  school  for  the  university. 
To  make  him  substitute  it  for  high  school  instead  is  to  defeat  his  ends 
and  the  ends  of  the  school.  If  suitable  and  sufficient  work  can  be 
given  in  two  years  there  should  be  a  two  year  course.  If  four  years 
are  necessary  there  should  be  a  four  year  course,  but  it  should  be  a  four 
year  course  in  agriculture. 

This  argument  applies  equally  to  domestic  science. 

The  argument  in  favor  of  the  four  year  course  is  that  it  offers  the 
same  work  as  is  offered  in  the  three  year  course  with  the  addition  of  a  few 


—  36  — 

subjects  which  make  it  possible  to  enter  the  university.  A  pupil  can 
finish  the  three  year  course  and  then  if  he  wishes  to  go  on  he  can  come 
back  to  the  school  for  one  year  and  get  the  necessary  work.  If  this  in- 
centive is  not  added  pupils  tend  to  drop  out  before  they  have  finished  the 
work  in  the  other  courses.  Every  school  should  give  such  preparation 
that  when  the  course  is  completed  the  graduate  is  able  to  go  on  to  some 
other  school  if  he  desires.  This  can  be  done  in  the  Milwaukee  County 
school  without  in  any  way  lessening  the  effectiveness  of  the  shorter 
courses. 

Other  courses 

In  addition  to  the  three  and  four  year  courses  there  is  a  projected 
short  course  covering  the  period  from  November  20th  to  April  1st  for 
two  years,  which  will  be  complete  in  itself  or  will  give  credit  of  one 
year  toward  any  regular  course.  This  course  is  just  being  worked  out 
and  it  is  planned  to  announce  it  for  the  first  time  in  the  next  catalog. 
It  includes 

FIRST  YEAR 

7s/  term  2nd  term 

Cereal  Crops  Forage  Crops 

Elementary  Dairying  Dairy  Manufacture 

Carpentry  Carpentry 

Elementary  Poultry  Poultry  Practise 

Fruit  Growing  Vegetable  Gardening 

SECOND  YEAR 

Dairy  Cattle  Stock  Feeding 

Soil  Fertility  Soil  Management 

Farm  Management  Drainage 

Farm  Accounting  Farm  Accounting 

Blacksmithing  Blacksmithing 

Insects  Civics 

Such  a  course  ought  to  give  good  solid  instruction,  and  should  meet 
the  requirements  of  many  boys  who  cannot  attend  the  full  year. 

(Short  courses  are  considered  as  extension  work  and  will  be  treated 
under  that  head) . 

A  Suggested  New  Course 

In  order  to  give  more  fully  practical  farm  training  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  school  it  is  suggested  that  a  course  be  offered  which  shall 
be  co-extensive  with  the  agricultural  year,  say  from  March  1  st  to  Nov- 
ember 1st.  (For  a  fuller  discussion  of  this  see  Chapter  XII — The 
School  Farm). 


—  37 


CHAPTER  IX 
TEACHING   STAFF 


The  teaching  staff  of  the  school  consists  of  the  superintendent  and 
thirteen  instructors,  ten  of  whom  are  in  agriculture  and  three  in  domes- 
tic science.  All  of  the  instructors  are  men  except  those  in  domestic 
science. 

Training 

7  of  the  14  members  hold  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science  or 
Bachelor  of  Science  in  Agriculture,  and  one  of  these  has  in  addition 
his  Master  of  Science  degree.  Three  have  the  Bachelor  of  Arts  de- 
gree. Of  these  three  none  teach  agricultural  subjects.  Three  are 
graduates  of  Stout  Institute,  two  of  whom  teach  domestic  science  and 
the  other  Farm  Mechanics.  One  has  the  degree  of  Master  of  Phil- 
osophy. 

Salaries 

Superintendent $3,  150 

Instructors 

one  at 2,  200 

one  at  _  2,  000 


one  at 
one  at 
one  at 
two  at 
one  at 


820 
860 
700 
200 
100 

one  at ,  000 

one  at 950 

one  at 900 

one  at 744 

one  at  4  mo. — ]/2  time *180 

one  at  _  1,200 


per  term  of  employment 


—  38  — 

These 'salaries  are  much  higher  than  those  paid  for  ordinary  second- 
ary school  education.  Agricultural  teachers  everywhere  in  such  institu- 
tions have  a  higher  rate  of  pay  than  teachers  of  academic  subjects,  but 
even  considering  this  the  rates  at  the  Milwaukee  school  are  higher. 
This  is  true  in  academic  subjects  as  well  as  in  agriculture.  For  the  sal- 
aries paid  the  teaching  should  be  of  the  best. 

Hours  of  Instruction 

Not  including  the  superintendent,  who  has  five  periods  per  week  of 
teaching,  instructors  have  class  periods  as  follows: 

one  has     1 6  periods  per  week 

one  has     1 8 

i         if*       »»         >»       >» 
one  has     IV 

two  have  2 1 
two  have  22       " 

1  O  A  "  »»  »» 

one  has    Z4 

i         >•)  (-       »»         »>       »» 
one  has    ZD 

one  has    26       " 

i  or>         *»  »»         ** 

one  has    z9 

1  OA  "  "  " 

one  has    5() 
one  has    31 

Periods  are  forty  minutes  each  with  a  five  minute  intermission.  In 
addition  instructors  do  extension  work,  prepare  lessons,  correct  papers, 
do  farm  work  connected  with  the  school,  etc.  The  amount  of  this  has 
never  been  determined.  An  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  survey  to  get 
this  information  from  faculty  members  themselves  was  unsuccessful. 
The  superintendent  estimated  that  the  men  spent  on  the  average  seven 
hours  a  day  at  the  school.  This  does  not  include  Saturday  when 
there  are  no  classes.  The  amount  of  class  work  compares  favorably 
with  that  done  in  other  secondary  schools.  The  amount  of  additional 
work  determines  largely  how  much  more  or  less  faculty  members  might 
be  expected  to  do,  and  information  on  this  is  not  available. 


CHAPTER   X 
TEACHING 


This  report  on  teaching  is  based  on  actual  classroom  observations 
and  study  of  courses.  While  it  would  have  been  desirable  to  see 
more  classes,  the  results  here  given  are  in  no  way  less  valuable  because 
the  number  of  visits  was  limited. 

1 8  classes  were  visited 

Reports  will  tell  only  what  occurred  in  those  classes 

Names  of  classes  will  be  given 

No  class  report  is  to  be  considered  as  a  judgment  on  the  teaching 
ability  of  the  instructor  concerned.  Good  points  or  bad  points  ob- 
served are  to  be  taken  as  examples  of  methods  or  practices  which  are 
used.  Whether  they  occur  seldom  or  often  does  not  alter  the  impor- 
tant fact  which  is  that  they  do  occur.  The  defects  pointed  out  should 
be  discovered  and  eliminated  wherever  they  exist.  The  good  points 
should  be  encouraged  and  made  general. 

Civics 

Seven  boys  constituted  the  class,  and  these  boys  sat  at  the  back  of 
the  room.  Effort  was  made  to  apply  the  work  to  the  actual  lives  and 
experiences  of  the  boys  by  specific  questions  as  — "Do  you  and  I  pay 
direct  taxes?"  "Is  the  tax  on  an  automobile  direct  or  indirect?" 
The  instructor  invariably  called  on  the  student  before  asking  the  ques- 
tion which  immediately  lessened  the  attention  on  the  part  of  the  pupils 
not  called  on.  In  one  case  only  two  of  the  boys  seemed  to  be  listen- 
ing and  one  of  these  when  called  on  was  not  sure  what  he  was  to  re- 
cite about.  The  instructor  kept  his  book  open  before  him  and  fol- 
lowed the  text.  This  killed  free  and  voluntary  discussion.  He  re- 
ferred to  the  text  for  questions  and  when  a  boy  did  not  answer  a  ques- 
tion he  read  to  him  from  the  book.  An  interesting  and  definite  as- 
signment was  given  as  part  of  the  next  lesson:  "Find  out  how  much 
income  tax  you  will  have  to  pay  when  you  have  a  $20,000  job.  If 
married?  If  a  single  man?" 


—  40  — 

Civics,  especially  when  made  part  of  the  daily  lives  of  the  pupils,  is 
a  subject  which  arouses  much  interest  in  a  class  of  boys.  The  in- 
structor in  this  class  seemed  to  know  how  he  wanted  to  conduct  the 
class;  he  wanted  the  boys  to  take  an  active  part.  He  had  their  good 
will  but  could  not  keep  up  the  interest.  The  greater  part  of  the  inter- 
est shown  seemed  due  to  the  subject  rather  than  to  the  teacher.  It 
should  be  mentioned  that  the  subject  is  one  which  is  outside  of  the  in- 
structor's regular  line  of  work. 

Soil  Fertility 

16  members  were  present. 

The  outstanding  feature  of  this  recitation  was  lack  of  discipline. 
The  instructor  stood  at  the  middle  seat  of  the  fourth  row  while  the  pu- 
pils all  sat  in  the  last  four  rows.  The  observer  reported  on  this  class 
in  part:  "The  instructor  might  just  as  well  have  been  at  the  front  of 
the  room,  for  his  presence  was  disregarded  during  the  class  disturb- 
ances that  took  place.  Not  only  were  notes  passed,  but  a  note  book 
with  them  was  deliberately  thrown  under  the  seats  from  the  first  boy 
to  the  last  boy.  No  hesitation  was  shown  in  speaking  aloud.  *  *  * 
A  few  were  trying  to  behave.  *  *  *  One  of  the  noisiest,  who 
had  been  sent  to  the  front  row,  turned  around  and  entertained  the 
class  more  than  ever  from  that  vantage  point.  The  instructor  kept  his 
text  open  and  referred  to  it  often.  He  kept  down  discussion  by  drag- 
ging pupils  back  to  the  *next  paragraph.'  ' 

It  is  doubtful  if  the  pupils  receive  much  benefit  from  a  class  where 
discipline  is  so  bad  a^  it  was  in  this  class. 

Soils 

This  class  was  made  up  of  eight  boys. 

The  period  was  spent  out  of  doors  laying  out  plots.  The  instruc- 
tor did  most  of  the  work  himself,  especially  with  the  instruments. 
The  boys  learned  the  names  and  uses  of  these  only  by  asking.  They 
were  anxious  to  know  how  to  use  them,  but  they  were  told  that  the  time 
was  too  short  and  that  they  could  learn  at  a  later  period.  The  pe- 
riod was  in  effect  a  demonstration  of  the  use  of  unnamed  instruments, 
which  the  pupils  did  not  learn  enough  about  to  understand.  Their 
enthusiasm  seemed  to  be  suppressed  rather  than  encouraged. 

Food  Study 

Eleven  girls  were  in  this  class. 

The  subject  of  the  recitation  was  starch.  The  pupils  and  teacher 
seemed  to  have  the  subject  well  in  hand,  but  the  class  was  of  the  monot- 
onous type.  A  series  of  questions  were  faithfully  answered  by  each 


girl  in  turn.  The  instructor  kept  her  note  book  open  before  her.  She 
usually  asked  the  question  before  naming  the  pupil,  but  there  were  sev- 
eral exceptions  to  this.  No  effort  was  made  to  correlate  the  work  with 
that  in  botany  and  physiology.  These  classes  and  the  laboratory 
were  isolated  things. 

Home  Management 

One  student. 

The  pupil  had  planned  a  home  and  was  given  two  sums,  one  large 
and  one  small,  with  which  to  make  two  plans  for  furnishing  it.  The 
teacher  sat  beside  the  pupil  and  criticised  the  plans.  The  pupil  had 
two  catalogs  from  which  to  select  the  home  equipment.  These  the 
teacher  had  gotten  for  her. 

Horticulture 

1  7  boys 

2  periods — one  laboratory  and  one  outdoor  section. 

The  laboratory  section  was  making  grafts.  Both  instructor  and  pu- 
pils were  much  interested.  The  instructor  was  kept  very  busy.  The 
pupils  made  about  20  grafts  each,  but  they  did  not  know  what  plants 
they  were  grafting.  Neither  did  they  know  how  the  string  used  was 
prepared.  The  instructor  said  that  he  would  plant  the  grafts  to  see 
how  many  would  grow.  He  did  not  say  that  he  would  let  the  boys 
plant  them. 

The  outdoor  section  was  spent  in  checking  and  planting  trees.  Each 
boy  had  something  to  do.  All  were  interested.  The  instructor  was  full 
of  life  and  kept  all  interested.  The  class  showed  good  spirit. 

English 

Class  of  1  3  boys  and  2  girls. 

The  first  part  of  the  lesson  was  given  over  to  a  written  spelling  les- 
son. The  papers  were  exchanged  and  the  instructor  spelled  the  words 
while  the  pupils  marked  the  papers.  A  story  read  the  previous  day 
was  then  told  by  one  of  the  girls.  She  told  it  well.  Next  some  time 
was  spent  on  reading  from  " Myths  of  Greece  and  Rome."  The  pu- 
pils were  closely  questioned  about  what  they  had  read.  One  boy  had 
trouble  in  remembering,  but  after  a  second  reading  was  able  to  tell 
without  stumbling.  Another  boy  was  interrupted  because  he  put  in  a 
word.  This  distracted  his  attention.  The  instructor  never  called  on 
listeners  to  correct  mistakes. 

Throughout  the  period  there  was  good  order.  The  instructor  has 
much  personality  and  he  has  the  respect  of  the  children. 


—  42  — 

Ancient  History 

1  3  boys  and  2  girls  were  in  this  class 

This  period  was  given  over  to  a  written  quiz. 

Five  questions  were  asked.  None  bf  the  questions  applied  or 
asked  for  an  application  of  any  event  in  ancient  history  to  modern  con- 
ditions. It  represented  the  kind  of  history  teaching  which  encourages 
boys  and  girls  to  exercise  memory  rather  than  reason. 

A  large  amount  of  cheating  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  class 
was  not  well  prepared  for  the  examination.  While  the  instructor  was 
writing  the  questions  one  pupil  opened  his  book  to  get  some  notes.  Two 
others  looked  at  each  other's  papers  and  passed  notes. 

One  boy  slipped  his  paper  nearer  his  neighbor  so  that  this  boy  might 
see  what  he  had  written.  At  least  five  others  looked  at  each  others 
papers  again  and  again.  The  instructor  was  in  the  room,  occupied 
with  the  reading  of  a  book. 

Algebra 

A  written  quiz  was  given  the  first  day.  On  the  second  the  work 
was  gone  over.  The  instructor  told  the  class  that  they  had  done 
very  poorly.  He  spent  the  period  in  a  thorough  explanation  of  quad- 
ratic equations,  the  subject  matter  of  the  test.  The  instructor  fre- 
quently asked  if  there  were  any  questions,  and  twice  pupils  asked  them. 
On  one  occasion  the  instructor  asked  if  there  were  any  questions  and 
added  that  there  certainly  should  be  none  on  that  part.  This  did  not 
encourage  any  one  to  ask.  On  the  first  day  in  particular  the  instruc- 
tor spoke  in  a  drawling  undertone.  There  was  much  more  life  and 
spirit  the  second  day.  The  students  were  given  the  papers  to  take 
home  and  correct.  This  would  make  them  finally  get  the  work  done 
correctly.  The  instructor  used  the  quiz  not  only  as  a  test  of  what  the 
pupils  knew  of  the  subject  but  as  a  teaching  means. 

Botany 

9  boys  and  three  girls  constituted  this  class 

The  first  period  was  used  for  a  field  trip  to  a  nearby  grove.  The 
purpose  of  the  lesson  was  to  teach  trees  in  their  winter  aspect.  The  in- 
structor pointed  out  and  described  the  trees.  A  student  was  called  on 
occasionally  to  name  a  tree  of  a  kind  just  described.  Two  of  ten  pu- 
pils gave  the  correct  name  the  first  time.  The  instructor  tried  to  teach 
pupils  to  recognize  the  following  trees — white  oak,  red  oak,  soft  maple, 
hard  maple,  Carolina  poplar,  prunus  serotina,  ironwood,  bass  wood, 
white  ash.  It  is  possible  that  any  group  of  people  would  have  diffi- 
culty in  learning  to  remember  all  these  in  an  hour,  especially  when  the 
leaves  were  not  out,  and  the  trees  were  so  tall  that  the  bud  arrangement 


—  43  — 

could  not  be  easily  seen.  Twigs  were  gathered  and  these  were  to  be 
carefully  drawn  and  labeled  in  the  laboratory  at  the  next  period.  Just 
why  time  should  be  spent  in  drawing  twigs  in  the  laboratory  when 
the  whole  woods  was  available  for  actual  daily  study  did  not  appear. 
The  pupils  did  not  seem  to  learn  to  know  the  trees.  As  a  matter  of 
method  the  question  may  be  asked — is  it  well  to  teach  the  barks  of  a 
group  of  trees  one  day,  the  leaves  on  another,  etc.,  in  showing  how  to 
know  trees;  or  is  it  better  to  teach  all  about  one  tree  one  day,  and 
about  another  at  a  different  time?  In  order  to  remember  the  names 
of  the  twigs  which  she  was  to  draw,  one  girl  put  soft  maple  in  one 
pocket  and  hard  maple  in  another.  This  did  not  help  much  for  she 
soon  forgot  which  pocket  had  the  soft  and  which  the  hard. 

The  next  day  in  class  this  field  trip  was  never  mentioned.  The 
class  recited  about  palms  and  cocoanut  trees  that  they  had  read  about 
in  the  text.  The  recitation  and  the  laboratory  were  disconnected 
things.  The  work  was  not  connected  up  for  the  girls  with  their  prac- 
tical work  in  domestic  science. 

The  first  question  in  the  recitation  was  to  name  the  four  large  groups 
into  which  plants  were  divided.  It  took  two  pupils  to  give  thallo- 
phytes,  bryophites,  pteridophytes,  and  spermatophytes.  When  pupils 
stumbled  over  the  pronunciation  of  these  or  other  long  words  the  in- 
structor helped  but  he  did  not  give  their  derivation  or  anything  else 
which  might  have  helped  the  pupils  to  understand  and  remember  them. 
After  a  discussion  of  monocotyledons  and  dicotyledons  the  instructor 
drew  and  labeled  illustrations  on  the  board.  A  little  later  a  girl 
asked  if  maple  seed  was  a  dicotyledon.  The  maple  was  one  of  the 
illustrations  the  instructor  had  previously  drawn  and  labelled.  He 
answered  "Yes"  to  this  and  other  questions  which  might  with  profit 
have  been  discussed  by  other  members  of  the  class. 

This  instructor  seemed  to  work  hard.  To  some  extent  he  kept  the 
interest  of  the  pupils.  He  never  discouraged  them  and  answered  their 
questions  even  though  at  first  they  seemed  of  no  value. 

Veterinary  Science 

5  present 

This  class  was  made  up  of  the  more  mature  students.  The  first 
few  minutes  were  given  over  to  review  of  tuberculosis.  The  instructor 
showed  the  class  an  affected  gland.  Then  he  began  to  lecture.  One 
student  wanted  to  ask  a  question,  but  was  asked  by  the  instructor  not 
to  interrupt  him  while  he  was  talking.  As  the  instructor  talked  the 
rest  of  the  period  not  another  boy  said  a  word.  The  instructor  lec- 
tured slowly,  stopping  now  and  then  to  give  students  time  to  get  what 
he  said  fully  in  their  note  books.  The  lecture  method  is  usually  de- 


—  44  — 

fended  on  the  grounds  that  large  classes  make  it  necessary.  How 
would  lecturing  to  a  class  of  five  students  be  defended?  Discussion 
was  discouraged  by  the  instructor's  asking  the  pupils  not  to  interrupt  him. 
It  was  not  an  inspiring  recitation.  The  instructor  was  very  serious 
both  in  manner  and  appearance.  The  class  was  interested  especially 
during  the  review  at  the  beginning  of  the  period. 

Practices  to  be  Discouraged 

Book  open  before  instructor  and  referring  to  it  for  questions  and 
answers 

Lack  of  discipline 

Calling  on  pupil  before  asking  question 

Preventing  discussion  on  part  of  pupils  by  dragging  them  back  to 
the  text  or  answering  questions  which  other  pupils  could  an- 
swer 

Discouraging  questioning  on  the  part  of  pupils 

Instructors  doing  most  of  the  work 

Lack  of  explanation  by  instructor  of  work  he  is  doing 

Lack  of  correlation  between  laboratory  and  class  work,  and  be- 
tween different  classes 

Not  telling  pupils  what  they  are  doing  and  why 

Not  permitting  students  to  go  through  whole  process  from  begin- 
ning to  end 

Distracting  attention  of  pupils  by  interruptions 

Lack  of  respect  for  teacher  on  part  of  pupils 

Cheating  by  pupils 

Indistinct  speech  on  part  of  teacher  and  pupils 

Overmuch  memory  work  and  insufficient  reasoning  work  by  pupils 

Lecturing  to  small  classes 

Each  of  these  defects  is  illustrated  in  the  reports  on  observations. 
In  nearly  every  case  there  were  redeeming  features. 

The  illustrations  show  that  much  careful  supervision  is  needed.  The 
pupils  are  of  an  age  which  demands  good  teaching.  Interesting  sub- 
ject matter  will  cause  the  pupil  to  derive  some  value  from  even  the 
poorest  teaching,  but  pupils  between  the  ages  of  1  3  and  20  are  not  of 
the  maturity  which  will  give  them  the  ability  to  learn  more  than  a 
smattering  of  any  subject  without  expert  assistance  on  the  part  of  the 
instructor.  While  the  base  used  is  not  large  enough  to  say  that  the 
teaching  of  any  one  instructor  is  either  good  or  bad  as  a  whole,  it  is 
possible  to  say  that  in  certain  of  the  classes  visited  the  benefit  to  the  pu- 
pil was  very  small.  The  lacks  shown  were  apparently  not  due  to  de- 
ficient knowledge  by  the  teacher  of  the  subject  matter  to  be  taught,  but 


—  45  — 

rather  to  defective  methods,  which  might  have  come  either  from  care- 
lessness or  from  lack  of  knowledge  of  teaching  methods.  If  due  to 
carelessness  all  that  is  neceosary  is  to  arouse  the  instructor  out  of  his 
nit,  remind  him  of  the  exacting  demands  of  teaching,  start  him  to  think- 
ing on  methods  of  making  his  teaching  a  means  of  giving  the  pupils  in- 
terest, knowledge,  and  a  desire  to  work.  Self-analysis  by  each  in- 
structor will  show  personal  reasons  for  defects;  study  of  work  by  the 
teacher  himself  will  show  where  the  faults  in  the  teaching  lie. 

For  the  new  teacher,  or  the  teacher  who  is  not  familiar  with  teach- 
ing methods,  assistance  on  the  part  of  supervisors  is  necessary.  Help- 
ful suggestions,  based  on  study  of  the  teacher's  peculiarities  and  on  vis- 
its to  the  classroom,  will  help  do  away  with  many  shortcomings.  The 
man  whose  faults  are  glaring,  who  will  make  no  effort  to  correct  them, 
or  who  is  not  suited  to  the  kind  of  work  he  is  doing,  has  no  place  in  a 
school  of  this  or  any  other  kind.  It  should  be  noted  that  one  instruc- 
tor, whose  work  appeared  on  the  day  visited  to  be  very  bad,  will  not 
return  next  year. 

Supervision  of  Instruction 

The  superintendent  of  the  school  says  that  he  aims  to  visit  a  class  of 
each  instructor  once  a  week.  This  would  require  thirteen  periods  of 
supervision  a  week.  No  record  of  the  number  of  visits  is  kept,  so  it  is 
not  possible  to  tell  how  nearly  this  standard  is  approached.  The 
amount  of  visiting  by  superior  officers  to  their  assistants  is  not  known. 
The  amount  of  real  assistance  which  those  in  charge  can  give  their  assist- 
ants depends  on  how  purposeful  the  visits  and  conferences  are.  As- 
sistants can  also  to  some  extent  help  their  superiors.  Of  the  ten 
teachers  whose  classes  were  visited,  only  four  were  not  in  charge  of 
departments.  Some  of  the  assistants  showed  work  which  was  better 
than  that  of  some  department  heads.  On  the  other  hand,  the  work  of 
one  assistant  showed  much  lack  of  experience,  while  that  of  the  man 
in  charge  was  among  the  best  seen. 

The  solution  seems  to  be  that  there  should  be  a  system  of  intervisit- 
ing.  Not  only  should  the  superintendent  visit  the  classes  of  all  teachers, 
but  department  heads  should  visit  their  assistants,  and  assistants  should 
see  the  work  of  those  in  charge.  The  assistants  could  see  results  due 
to  better  methods  and  learn  to  avoid  faults  which  they  observe.  It  is 
less  difficult  to  learn  by  seeing  teaching  faults  and  virtues  in  others  than 
in  the  individual  himself.  The  superintendent  and  department  heads 
could  point  out  to  instructors  where  their  weak  points  are.  They  could 
demonstrate  for  a  period  if  they  felt  that  this  would  help.  Each  in- 
structor would  have  the  opportunity  to  get  away  from  his  own  limited 
field,  and  see  in  others  the  things  that  in  his  own  work  he  had  perhaps 


—  46  — 

from  very  nearness  overlooked.      The  system  would  tend  to  make  each 
man  analyze  his  own  work. 

The  presence  of  the  defects  observed  in  classroom  work  indicates 
one  or  more  of  four  things  in  regard  to  the  supervision  of  the  superin- 
tendent 

1.  He  visits  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  only  and  not  for  the  purpose 

of  helping  the  instructor. 

2.  He  does  not  follow  up  his  visits  with  conferences  or  suggestions. 

3.  Pupils,  all  of  whom  know  the  superintendent,  make  especial  ef- 

forts at  the  time  of  his  visits. 

4.  The  instructor  is  especially  careful  at  the  time  of  the  visits. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  the  instructors  and  pupils  try  to  be  at 
their  best  on  the  occasion  of  the  visits  of  the  superintendent.  It  is  also 
true  that  the  defects  are  not  all  of  the  kind  that  can  be  put  on  and  off 
at  will.  Some  of  them  will  occur  no  matter  who  is  present.  Those 
that  can  be  eliminated  when  the  superintendent  is  present  should  be 
eliminated  by  the  instructor  at  all  times.  Those  that  can  not  be  so  done 
away  with  should  be  noticed  by  the  superintendent  and  he  should  assist 
in  remedying  them.  Present  supervision  does  not  seem  to  be  effective. 
No  doubt  the  superintendent  knows  in  general  who  are  the  best  and 
who  are  the  poorest  teachers.  Does  he  know  specific  defects  and  do^s 
he  try  to  overcome  them?  Is  his  supervision  a  real  thing  or  is  it  merely 
for  the  purpose  of  fulfilling  the  requirements  of  the  school? 


—  47  — 


CHAPTER  XI 
EXTENSION 


Work  done 

In  two  records  in  the  office  of  the  school  are  the  extension  activities 
of  the  school  listed.  One  is  a  typewritten  statement  entitled  "Some 
Facts  Concerning  the  Agricultural  School"  and  the  other  is  a  copy  of 
a  letter  of 'the  superintendent  to  the  board  of  administration.  The  let- 
ter contains  all  the  extension  activities  mentioned  in  the  statement  and 
three  additional  items.  From  these  two  sources  the  activities  are 

Enroll. 

1 .  Special  8th  grade  work  at  the  school  in  co-operation  with 

the  Hawley  Road  and  36th  St.  School 13 

2.  Special  millinery  classes  at  the  school 52 

3.  Special  sewing  classes   at  the  school 35 

4.  Special  cooking  classes   at  the  school 30 

5.  Saturday    courses    for    Milwaukee    County    rural    school 

teachers,   at  the  school 22 

6.  Course  at  the  Milwaukee  Public  Library 75 

7.  Lectures  at  social  centers  in  various  parts  of  the  county 100 

8.  Farmers'  course  at  the  school 148 

9.  Poultry  show  at  the  school 
10.  Calf  raising  contest 

1  1 .  Corn  and  barley  contest 
12.   Corn  exhibit  at  school 
1  3.   Exhibit  at  state  fair 

14.  Vacant  lot  gardening  within  city  limits  of  Milwaukee 

15.  Direct  aid  to  farmers  in  the  county 

16.  All  other  efforts  made  in  the  direction  of  advertising  the 

institution  and  aiding  the  community  not  only  to  in- 
crease attendance  but  to  acquaint  the  community  with 
the  benefits  that  may  be  secured  by  co-operating  with 
the  school 

17.  Classes  for  children  from  the  Home  for  Dependent  Chil- 

dren 


—  48  — 

Appointments  Shown  for  the  First  Four  Months  of  1916  by  the  Su- 
perintendent's Calendar 

Jan.      7 — Mr.  Perry  and  Mr.  Phillips — Greenfield  Ave.   School 
Jan.    21 — Mr.  Perry  and  Mr.  Sievers — Browning  School 
Feb.     4 — Mr.  Sievers  and  Mr.  Adams — Tippecanoe  School 
peb.    1  1  — Mr.  Perry  and  Mr.  Sievens — Fox  Point  School 
Feb.    12 — Mr.  Holzinger — N.  Milwaukee  School 
Feb.    18 — Mr.  Bartholomew — Ludington  School 
Feb.   28 — Mr.  Sievers — Woodlawn  School 
Mar.     7 — Mr.  Perry  and  Mr.  Roehl — Lincoln  School 
Mar.  1  1  — Mr.  Sievers  and  Mr.  Perry — Mapletree  School 
Mar.  1  7 — Mr.  Sievers  and  Mr.  Perry — Fischer  School 
Mar.  3 1  — Mr.  Sievers  and  Mr.  Perry — Mapletree  School 

Apr.  10— — McKinley  School 

Apr.  1 4 — Mr.  Perry  and  Mr.  Sievers — Ardenwood  School 
Apr.  28 — Mr.  Perry  and  Mr.  Sievers — Burleigh  St.  School 
A  brief  general  statement  of  extension  work  is  given  in  the  annual 
catalog. 

All  short  courses  are  considered  extension  work.  This  includes 
the  summer  session.  Tho  the  school  authorities  do  not  list  it,  it  is 
so  considered  by  them  for  most  purposes. 

Nowhere  is  there  to  be  found  a  complete  detailed  statement  of  the 
work  done  in  extension,  of  the  time  spent,  or  of  the  cost. 

No  records  of  any  kind  are  kept  for  any  of  the  work  except  the 
courses  at  the  school. 

The  report  here  made  is  based  on  course  records,  conferences,  let- 
ters, statements,  bulletins,  and  such  other  scattered  material  as  could 
be  secured. 

The  eighth  grade  claso  consists  of  thirteen  girls  who  come  over  once 
a  week  for  cooking  and  sewing. 

The  special  millinery,  sewing  and  cooking  classes  are  composed  of 
city  women  who  come  out  one  afternoon  a  week  during  the  spring  and 
fall  terms  to  receive  special  instruction.  The  classes  aim  to  give  prac- 
tical work  along  these  lines.  They  are  adapted  to  those  who  do  not 
wish  to  take  a  complete  course  in  the  school. 

The  Saturday  course  for  rural  school  teachers  is  designed  to  give 
instruction  to  these  teachers  which  will  be  of  benefit  to  them  in  their 
work  and  at  the  same  time  help  the  school.  It  continues  for  eight  Sat- 
urdays. 

The  course  at  the  Milwaukee  Public  Library  consists  of  a  series  of 
popular  lectures  on  agricultural  subjects  for  city  people  interested  in 
agriculture.  The  lectures  are  given  twice  a  week  for  eight  weeks. 
Among  the  subjects  are 


—  49  — 

Wisconsin  Geology  in  Respect  to  Soil  Formation 

Planning  a  Back  Yard  Garden 

The  Helpful  Hen 

Hotbed  Construction  and  Management 

Best  Results  in  Poultry  Feeding 

Some  Vegetables  Worth  While 

Raising  the  Dairy  Calf 

Life  of  the  Honey  Bee 

The  Herd  Bull    ' 

Bush  Fruits 

City  and  Country  Bee  Keeping 

Back  Lot  Poultry  Keeping 

Managing  the  Dairy  Herd 

Production  and  Composition  of  Milk 

Two  lectures  are  given  each  evening,  making  a  total  of  thirty-two 
for  the  course. 

The  farmers'  course  at  the  school  lasts  for  three  days  and  consists 
of  lectures,  demonstrations,  and  meetings.  In  connection  with  it  are  the 
poultry  show,  calf  raising  contest,  corn  and  barley  contest,  and  the  crop 
exhibit. 

These  various  courses  reach  about  500  people  according  to  the  en- 
rollments given.  Some  attend  only  a  few  lectures  and  some  attend  for 
a  course. 

The  school  statement  concerning  direct  aid  to  farmers  in  the  county, 
reads:  "This  item  alone  is  valued  at  not  less  than  $2,000  a  year  in 
counties  where  a  county  representative  is  employed."  County  represen- 
tatives give  their  full  time  to  the  work.  The  superintendent  of  the  school 
estimated  for  the  survey  that  it  would  take  the  time  of  one  man  for  two 
days  a  week  to  do  the  work  done  in  this  line  by  the  school.  On  this 
basis  this  item  should  be  estimated  at  1  /3  of  $2,000  or  $667.  This 
work  consists  of  personal  visits  to  farmers,  advice  on  farm  problems, 
help  on  silos,  correspondence,  etc.  It  is  done  by  the  various  members 
of  the  faculty  each  of  whom  makes  such  visits  and  helps  on  such  work 
as  falls  within  his  field. 

40  children  from  the  Home  for  Dependent  Children,  which  is  ad- 
jacent to  the  school,  come  three  mornings  a  week  for  instruction  in  ag- 
riculture or  domestic  science. 

Cost 

It  is  not  possible  to  get  the  exact  cost  of  extension  work  because  of 
the  lack  of  records  showing  distribution  of  time,  and  of  work  done. 
From  the  basis  of  how  much  less  the  school  would  cost  if  there  were 


—  50  — 

no  extension  work,  it  is  very  low.  No  fewer  instructors  would  be  em- 
ployed, except  perhaps  one  in  domestic  science.  The  buildings  and 
equipment  would  be  the  same.  Some  traveling  expense  would  be 
done  away  with,  as  would  a  small  amount  for  printing  and  postage. 
The  total  of  these  possible  reductions  would  not  amount  to  over  $2,000 
and  would  probably  be  much  less.  This  type  of  work  can  be  car- 
ried on  without  much  additional  cost. 

The  superintendent  estimates  that  extension  work  costs  about  1  /6  of 
the  total  operating  expenses  of  the  school.  Any  figures  which  can  be 
given  must  necessarily  be  estimates. 

An  analysis  of  the  average  daily  attendance  figures  shows  that  about 
1/6  of  the  attendance  is  in  special  courses  which  come  under  exten- 
sion. On  this  basis  1/6  of  operating  cost  is  chargeable  to  extension. 
The  cost  of  the  other  work  is  too  small  to  change  this  fraction,  so 
1/6  of  total  operating  cost  is  as  near  the  actual  extension  cost  as 
can  be  arrived  at  from  the  data  available.  This  would  give  for  the 
cost  in  1914-15  $8,105.64.  The  net  cost,  after  subtracting  1/6  of 
the  $10,000  returned  by  the  school  to  the  county,  is  $6,438.64. 

Summary 

Extension  work  lacks  organization.  It  is  undeveloped.  At  pres- 
ent the  so-called  extension  consists  in  large  part  of  special  classes  at 
the  school.  The  real  extension  work  consists  of  some  lectures  in  the 
city,  lectures  at  social  centers,  direct  aid  to  farmers,  and  a  -short  course 
for  farmers  with  attendant  contests  and  meetings. 

Records  should  be  kept  showing  costs,  visits,  time  -spent,  classes,  lec- 
tures, calls,  etc. 

Separate  accounts  should  be  kept  of  all  direct  costs. 

Recommendations  for  the  furtherance  and  development  of  exten- 
sion work  are  contained  in  the  discussion  in  Chapter  II. 


51  — 


CHAPTER  XII 
THE  SCHOOL  FARM 


The  Farm  Proper 

The  school  farm  consists  of  206  acres.  This  includes  campus, 
woodlots,  and  land  used  for  other  than  farm  purposes.  The  land  was 
purchased  at  $350  an  acre  thus  representing  an  investment  of  $72,100 
in  addition  to  the  buildings  and  equipment,  which  would  add  approxi- 
mately $15,000. 

As  stated  in  the  1915-16  catalog  the  school  possesses  "a  full  equip- 
ment of  high  class  and  improved  farm  machinery."  This,  according 
to  the  inventory,  is  valued  at  $3,091.57. 

About  15  acres  are  devoted  to  fruit  raising  and  truck  farming. 
The  crop  production  of  the  farm  aside  from  this  in  1915  was 

62  tons  alfalfa,  15  acres 4. 13  tons  per  acre 

1630  bu.  oats.  18  acres 90.56  bu.  " 

1440  bu.  potatoes,  8  acres 180.00    "  " 

25  tons  timothy  hay,  11  acres 2.27  tons  " 

49  tons  mixed  hay,  16  acres 3.06    "  " 

18  tons  clover  hay,  6  acres 3.00    "  " 

100  tons  cabbage,  7  acres 14.29    "  " 

Two  silos  filled  with  silage  corn,  27  acres. 
Total,  98  acres. 

The  orchard,  truck  farm,  woodlots,  and  grounds  used  for  buildings 
make  up  the  remainder  of  the  farm. 

Dairy 

The  dairy  equipment  is  very  complete  not  only  from  the  teaching 
standpoint  but  from  the  viewpoint  of  a  dairy  farm  as  well.  The  herd 
now  numbers  twenty-five  in  addition  to  the  young  stock  on  hand. 
(For  detail  see  "Equipment",  Chap.  V.) 

A  statement  of  the  school  says : 

"Its  dairy  herd  (the  school's)  has  been  increased  fifty  per  cent  (time 
not  given)  and  the  production  of  this  herd  has  averaged  for  the  last 
two  years  8,180  pounds  per  cow,  while  the  average  milk  production 
of  dairy  cows  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin  is  less  than  5,000  pounds  per 
cow." 


—  52  — 

This  looks  like  a  very  good  record,  but  in  order  to  give  a  perfectly 
fair  and  useful  comparison  the  production  of  the  school's  cows  should 
be  compared  with  the  production  of  cows  of  like  grade  in  the  state. 
Adding  together  the  average  production  of  cows  of  all  kinds  and  com- 
paring with  the  production  of  a  high  class  herd  merely  shows  what 
everybody  knows — that  high  class  herds  produce  more.  It  does  not 
show  whether  the  standard  of  production  for  that  particular  herd  is 
high  or  low. 

The  dairy  barn  is  a  large  building  and  is  clean  and  well  kept.  The 
milk  produced  is  certified  milk.  Most  of  the  necessary  feed  is  pro- 
duced on  the  farm.  A  driveway  leading  to  the  hay  loft  is  being 
planned,  the  work  to  be  done  by  the  pupils  as  part  of  their  work  in  car- 
pentry and  concrete. 

Costs 

The  school  office  does  not  have  in  easily  available  form  records 
showing  cost  and  returns  of  the  farm  and  dairy.  It  has  records, 
which,  if  summarized  and  collected  would  show  this.  The  farm  fore- 
man keeps  a  record  of  each  field,  including  records  showing  amount  of 
time  spent  on  each.  If  a  man  puts  in  one  half-day  on  one  field,  an 
hour  doing  teaming  for  the  school,  and  an  hour  in  dairy  work,  and  the 
rest  of  the  day  with  the  poultry,  these  records  will  show  it.  Costs  are 
distributed  in  the  same  way.  Both  costs  and  returns  are  divided  be- 
tween departments.  But  these  facts  are  not  collected  at  present. 
Last  December  the  bookkeeper's  position  was  discontinued,  and  tho  he 
said  that  the  farm  produced  a  profit  last  year,  his  records  cannot  show 
how  much  without  a  great  amount  of  work  collecting  and  analyzing 
detail.  For  the  purposes  of  this  study  the  superintendent  gave  esti- 
mates. 

The  estimates  of  the  superintendent  are 
Eeceipts 

Dairy  and  poultry  produce $4 , 800 

Potatoes    1,260 

Berries  and  fruit 300 

Hay    300 

Miscellaneous    300 


$6,960 
Expenses 

Farm  foreman  $960 

Men    1,500 

Herdsman  720 

Student  helper    240 

Man  240 

Man   372 

Feed — Dairy   and   poultry 1 ,200 

Other  500 

$5 , 732 


—  53  — 

Expenses  include  transfers  from  other  departments.  This  shows  a 
profit  of  $1,228,  an  approximation.  That  actual  facts  were  not 
available  four  months  after  the  close  of  the  year  speaks  badly  both  for 
the  school  records  and  the  desire  of  the  authorities  to  know.  It  should 
be  noted  before  accepting  the  statement  that  the  farm  is  running  at  a 
profit  that  no  interest  on  investment  is  considered.  A  farmer  could 
not  afford  to  run  the  farm  as  the  school  runs  it.  The  superintendent 
stated  that  the  investment  was  not  considered  and  could  not  be  con- 
sidered. He  gave  this  illustration: 

Suppose  50  bushels  of  oats  were  raised  on  one  acre.  At  40c  a 
bushel  this  would  bring  $20.00  Interest  on  the  investment  is  $17.50 
($350  at  5%).  Taxes,  if  it  were  private  land,  $1.00,  threshing 
$1.50.  This  would  take  all  of  the  $20.00  leaving  nothing  for  labor, 
seed,  fertilizer,  and  other  items. 

For  grain  raising  purposes  it  will  be  granted  that  the  farm  could  not 
be  made  to  pay,  even  tho  the  farm  did  raise  91  bushels  of  oats  to  the 
acre. 

Interest  on  $70,000  (200  acres  at  $350  per  acre)  at  5%  is 
$3,500.00.  This  would  wipe  out  over  twice  the  profit  estimated  for 
last  year. 

The  question  which  naturally  follows  is  whether  the  school  should 
try  to  raise  grain.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  does  not,  as  is  -shown  by  the 
table  of  p. . 

Can  and  Should  the  Farm  be  made  a  Paying  Proposition  P 

The  location  of  the  farm  is  such  that  a  profit  can  only  be  made  by 
very  intensive  farming  such  as  truck  gardening.  The  farm  is  primar- 
ily for  purposes  of  instruction  and  this  should  always  be  kept  in  mind. 
The  question  then  is — can  the  farm  be  made  to  pay  and  still  fulfill  its 
function  as  a  teaching  agency? 

The  pupils  in  the  agricultural  department  of  the  school  are  osten- 
sibly there  to  learn  farming.  They  wish  to  know  something  about  the 
various  kinds  of  farming.  Some  are  interested  particularly  in  dairy- 
ing, some  in  stock  raising,  some  in  grain  fanning,  some  in  fruit  farm- 
ing, etc.  But  from  the  standpoint  of  Wisconsin  agriculture  most  of 
them  are  not  primarily  interested  in  grain  farming,  and  the  school  rec- 
ognizes this  and  raises  but  little  grain.  It  comes  then  to  a  question  of 
whether  truck  gardening,  dairying,  fruit  growing,  etc.,  can  be  so  done 
on  the  school  farm  as  to  teach  successfully  and  still  make  money. 
This  kind  of  farming  is  that  used  on  farms  of  like  location  and  value. 
Its  ability  to  pay  depends  entirely  on  a  correlation  of  the  teaching 
function  with  profitable  farming. 

The  school  farm  carries  on  each  of  these  intensive  activities  to  some 


—  54—- 

extent.  Dairy  and  poultry  produce  last  year  sold  for  $4,800,  pota- 
toes $1,260,  berries  and  apples  for  $300.  There  are  certain  factors 
that  enter  here  which  reduce  the  return. 

1.  Much,  or  most,  of  the   produce   is   sold    to  other  county  institu- 
tions.    These  buy  at  a  cost  lower  than  the  market  price.      E.  g.,  the 
county  Home  for  Dependent  Children    buys    milk,    which  is  certified 
and  would  ordinarily  sell  at  8c,  for  5]/2c;  the  school  dormitory  pays 
5c  for  this  milk. 

2.  The  work  is  not  done  on  a  large  scale. 

3.  Much  of  the  time  on  the  field  and  in  the  dairy  is  spent  on  work 
that  the  ordinary  farm  does  not  have,  i.  e.,  demonstration  to  pupils. 

On  the  other  hand  there  are  certain  advantages  that  other  farms  do 
not  have: 

1 .  Constant  expert  advice  and  service  always  at  hand  and  in  charge. 

2.  Free  student  labor. 

3.  Large  equipment,  and  opportunity  and  facilities  for  trying  out 
advanced  methods  and  processes. 

In  the  preceding  discussion  there  have  been  indicated  possible  meth- 
ods of  increasing  the  farm  productiveness. 

1.  A  larger  amount  of  truck  gardening,  fruit  farming,  etc. 

2.  Credit  farm  with  the  market  price  of  produce  sold  to  other  de- 
partments and  institutions. 

3.  Extend  the  idea  of  "learn  to  do  by  doing". 

4.  Make  fuller  use  of  the  expert  advice,  service,  and  of  equipment 
and  facilities  at  hand. 

On  the  first  suggestion  there  can  be  little  question.  A  truck  farm 
efficiently  conducted  ought  to  pay. 

The  -second  suggestion  does  not  mean  that  the  county  institutions 
should  pay  more  for  the  milk  and  supplies  they  get  from  the  school. 
It  simply  means  that  in  figuring  returns  such  supplies  should  be  figured 
by  the  school  at  the  price  which  the  institutions  would  have  had  to  pay 
elsewhere.  These  accounts,  should,  of  course,  be  kept  separate  from 
the  actual  cash  and  transfer  accounts.  An  extra  column  would  take 
care  of  them.  The  advantage  of  thfs  method  would  lie  in  helping  to 
give  the  actual  cost  for  each  institution  concerned.  It  would  show  to 
what  extent  one  institution  was  in  reality  helping  to  support  another. 
Such  information  would  be  of  value  in  making  up  budgets. 

Learning  to  do  by  doing  is  coming  more  and  more  to  be  an  ac- 
cepted method  of  teaching.  It  is  taking  the  place  of  demonstration  in 
many  fields  of  study.  It  is  generally  called  practical  field  or  project 
work.  Agriculture  seems  especially  fitted  for  this  method.  Directed 
work  in  place  of  demonstration  is  a  field  for  experimentation  which  will 
have  an  educational  value  aside  from  that  given  to  the  pupils  first  con- 


—  55  — 

cerned.  A  direct  application  can  be  readily  given.  Milwaukee,  as 
a  large  city,  supports  much  truck  gardening.  At  present  a  course  in 
vegetable  gardening  is  given  at  the  school.  The  boys  in  the  course 
are  each  given  a  plot  20x25  feet.  This  they  must  take  care  of  till  the 
end  of  the  school  year.  The  gardens  are  so  arranged  that  after  the 
pupils  leave  they  can  be  cultivated  with  a  cultivator.  Would  not  the 
boys  learn  more  about  vegetables  and  more  about  large  scale  gardening, 
marketing  of  products,  financial  considerations,  market  needs  and  de- 
mands, etc.,  if  they  were  required  to  put  a  little  more  time  each  day  on 
a  larger  plot,  not  in  individual  parts,  but  worked  in  one  large  garden  un- 
der the  direction  of  the  instructor?  If  the  garden  were  then  considered 
as  a  commercial  proposition  and  the  boys  felt  that  they  were  part  of  the 
scheme  and  must  make  it  pay,  they  would  have  a  better  training. 

It  has  been  argued  that  the  best  boys  will  not  work  more  than  is  nec- 
essary for  demonstration  purposes,  and  that  the  boys  who  will  are  not 
the  kind  who  are  wanted  to  work  on  the  farm.  The  answer  to  this  is 
that  the  fault  lies  with  the  teacher  and  not  with  the  boys.  Boys  were 
observed  doing  manual  labor  under  the  direction  of  a  teacher  and  they 
seemed  eager  and  glad  to  do  it.  Another  discouraged  the  attempts  of 
the  pupils  to  do  more.  A  teacher  can  inspire  the  boys  with  a  liking 
for  and  interest  in  the  work.  Most  boys  have  a  natural  interest  in  gar- 
den work,  especially  those  who  go  to  an  agricultural  school.  If  the 
boys  are  really  interested  in  their  work,  if  they  want  to  know  agricul- 
ture, they  will  not  object  to  a  little  farm  work. 

In  the  dairy  the  boys  do  some  of  the  work,  but  it  is  just  while  they 
are  taking  a  certain  dairy  course.  Here  no  saving  is  affected  because 
most  of  the  boys  are  inexperienced  and  they  must  be  helped.  When 
the  students  were  left  alone  for  a  week,  milk  production  fell  greatly. 
This  should  not  be  true  of  older  students.  Why  can  not  part  of  their 
work  be  to  assist  and  direct  the  others?  The  boys  who  work  in  the 
dairy  regularly  are  paid  by  the  school. 

This  is  an  important  question  in  agricultural  education.  If  boys 
can  be  taught  agriculture  better  by  being  placed  in  touch  with  and  tak- 
ing part  in  actual  farm  problems,  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  they 
should  not  be  so  taught.  The  system  would  be  cheaper  for  the  tax- 
payers, for  the  farm  could  be  made  to  pay  a  part  of  the  operating  ex- 
penses of  the  school.  It  cannot  be  said  without  trial  that  such  a  system 
will  not  work  in  the  Milwaukee  school.  It  has  never  been  tried.  Only 
the  most  feeble  attempts,  under  unfavorable  conditions  have  been  made. 
A  strong  attempt  with  a  determination  to  use  every  possible  resource  is 
necessary  to  work  out  a  plan  that  will  succeed.  That  an  effort  be  made  is 
a  just  demand-  To  permit  the  farm  to  work  at  less  than  its  maximum 
production  is  an  economic  waste  which  is  unjustifiable  unless  it  is  defi- 


—  56  — 

nitely  shown  that  this  waste  is  necessary  to  prevent  greater  waste  in  edu- 
cational production.  This  has  not  yet  been  shown  and  until  proof  is 
given  one  way  or  another  the  school  will  always  work  under  the  sus- 
picion of  citizens  that  it  is  not  using  its  opportunities  in  a  fruitful  way. 
If  the  boys  really  wish  to  know  agriculture  they  will  not  object  to  more 
farm  work.  It  is  not  expected  that  this  extra  work  should  take  the 
place  of  the  required  farm  experience.  Even  with  the  largest  farm 
production,  life  at  the  school  for  the  six  hours  a  day  would  not  approxi- 
mate the  life  on  an  ordinary  farm.  It  is  this  life  with  its  variety  of  oc- 
cupations and  duties,  its  difficulties  and  limitations,  that  the  boy  wants  in 
his  actual  farm  experience. 

The  moot  important  time  of  the  year  in  agriculture  is  from  March  to 
November.  During  three  of  these  months — the  mid-summer  months 
— the  boys  are  not  in  school.  Some  of  them  are  on  farms,  some  are 
doing  other  work  or  no  work.  In  order  that  the  school  should  have 
the  opportunity  to  teach  the  boys  while  they  are  getting  practical  expe- 
rience in  the  time  when  that  experience  can  best  be  gained,  a  course 
extending  through  the  summer  months  would  be  most  beneficial,  if  prac- 
tical. Carried  a  point  further,  a  school  year  extending  from  March 
to  November,  thus  corresponding  with  the  agricultural  year,  would  per- 
mit the  school  to  take  the  boys  through  an  entire  crop  season.  It  would 
permit  of  carrying  out  the  gardening  and  fruit  projects  completely.  It 
would  be  a  long  step  toward  putting  the  farm  on  a  paying  basis. 

Two  important  objections  will  be  made. 

1.  Boys  cannot  be  kept  in  school  during  the  summer.      Many  of 
them  must  or  will  go  out  to  work. 

2.  What  will  be  done  with  the  boys  in  the  winter  months? 

The  first  objection  will  be  sound  for  many  boys.  But  for  others — 
those  who  do  not  have  to  work  and  those  who  can  be  made  to  see 
the  advantage  of  staying  in  school — the  plan  will  work.  The  course 
could  be  made  very  valuable  to  the  boys,  and  they  could  be  shown  the 
ultimate  benefit  of  staying  in  school  through  the  summer.  A  fairly 
large  enrollment  might  be  built  up. 

The  second  objection  has  in  mind  the  boys  who  would  be  out  ot 
school  without  work  in  the  winter  months.  This  could  be  overcome  by 
filling  this  period  in  with  regular  school  work.  A  system  whereby  part 
of  the  boys  at  a  time  could  take  a  week's  vacation  in  the  summer  would 
permit  this.  Such  an  all-the-y ear-round  school  would  tend  to  raise  the 
summer  enrollment,  for  it  would  lessen  the  total  length  of  the  course  by 
one  year. 

One  more  consideration  should  enter  into  this  problem  of  working 
the  farm  to  more  nearly  its  productive  capacity.  It  is  supposedly  a 
model  farm,  a  demonstration  farm  for  the  county.  Yet  if  the  farmer 


—  57  — 

ran  his  farm  on  the  basis  of  the  school  farm  he  would  go  into  bank- 
ruptcy. The  school  farm  has  model  parts,  small  fields,  plots,  farm  rec- 
ords, dairy  plant,  etc.,  but  it  is  not  a  model  whole.  The  farmer  is  im- 
pressed with  a  few  details  but  not  with  the  farm  as  a  business.  It  is 
not  a  model  after  which  he  can  pattern  his  farm.  Specialized  farmers 
can,  indeed,  learn  but  little,  even  from  the  details,  because  they  are  fa- 
miliar with  what  is  on  the  school  farm  from  their  own  experience.  To 
these  the  only  benefit  comes  from  such  students  of  the  school  as  they 
may  employ  and  whose  specialized  training  may  help  them  on  the  spe- 
cialized farm.  Such  pupils  get  to  some  extent,  without  the  help  of  an 
instructor,  what  more  extensive  work  with  such  assistance  would  have 
taught  them  much  better  and  more  quickly  at  school. 


—  58  — 


CHAPTER   XIII 
THE  SCHOOL  FINANCES 


Financial  Reports 

There  are  two  chief  items  to  be  considered  in  studying  the  efficiency 
of  any  school.  One  is  the  work  being  done — quantity  and  quality. 
This  we  have  taken  up  in  the  preceding  chapters.  The  other  is  the 
cost.  Poorly  done  work  would  be  expensive  at  even  a  low  cost. 
Work  which  may  be  very  good  might  be  considered  as  not  worth  while 
if  the  cost  is  excessive.  It  might  be  very  beneficial  to  the  average  man 
to  hear  a  world  renowned  symphony  orchestra  give  a  concert,  but  if 
he  were  asked  to  pay  $25  to  hear  it,  the  cost  might  conceivably  out- 
weigh the  benefit.  A  city  might  like  very  much  to  buy  land  for  a  new 
park,  but  it  is  conceivable  that  the  cost  would  be  too  high.  So,  too, 
Milwaukee  county  may  want  to  teach  agriculture  and  domestic  science 
in  a  special  school-  It  can  and  is  doing  so.  But  one  of  the  questions 
which  must  be  answered  is  whether  the  cost  is  low,  reasonable,  or  ex- 
cessive. If  the  work  is  poorly  done  and  the  price  is  low,  it  may  be 
well  to  spend  more  for  better  work  after  attempt  has  been  made  to  bet- 
ter work  without  increasing  cost.  If  the  work  is  poor  at  what  would 
be  reasonable  co3t  for  good  work,  the  only  remedy  is  to  better  work 
without  increasing  cost.  If,  again,  the  work  is  poor  and  the  cost  ex- 
cessive, radical  measures  are  necessary.  Either  both  work  must  be 
made  good  and  the  cost  at  the  same  time  lowered,  or  else  the  county 
cannot  afford  to  continue  the  school.  The  last  is  also  an  alternative  if 
the  work  is  good  and  the  cost  excessive.  The  other  alternative  is  to 
lower  cost  without  injuring  work,  or  to  increase  quality  of  work  with- 
out increasing  cost.  If  work  is  good  and  cost  either  low  or  reasonable 
there  can  be  no  real  objection  to  the  school  if  it  fills  a  real  need  in  the 
county.  Attention  can  then  be  given  to  opportunities  for  bettering  an 
already  -satisfactory  institution. 

The  Milwaukee  County  school,  together  with  all  other  such  schools 
in  the  state,  submits  an  annual  report  on  enrollment,  attendance,  and 
finance  to  the  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction.  The  Milwau- 
kee school  had  been  in  operation  for  three  years  up  to  July,  1915.  The 
reports  for  the  three  years  are: 


—  59  — 


1912-13 

1913-14 

1914-15 

161 

193 

185 

Teachers        .  .       ... 

15 

14 

13 

Enrollment    

213 

206 

191 

153 

138 

134 

Girls 

91' 

68 

67 

Graduates  —  Last  year  

0 

s 

22 

Boys 

o 

5 

19 

Girls    

o 

3 

3 

Graduates  —  Since  organization 

o 

g 

30 

Boys    

o 

5 

24 

Girls    

0 

3 

Q 

Average  age: 
Boys    

1714 

18 

18 

Girls    

20 

18 

19 

Average  daily  attendance 

146 

128 

118 

Adult  specials   (not  included)  

69 

2  tiroes  per 

wk.,  13 
wks.,  50; 
daily,  one 
wk.,  150; 
summer,  2 
wks.,  40 

—  60  — 


FINANCIAL, 


1912-13 

1913-14 

1914-15 

Receipts 
Balance  June  30  

$20,307.12 

$5,751.39 

Remainder 

State       

8,000.00 

7,000.00 

not 

County   appropriation   

$135,161.98t 

37  175  16 

45,281.50 

reapprop. 

Sales    

7,326.44 

10,638.28 

10,141.93 

Reimbursement  tor  exp.  not  cov- 
ered by  appropriation  

9,145.18 

Tuition    

136.00 

522.00 

(In  191S-16 

appro  ) 

Expenditures 
Superintendent    

$131,633.00 
$3  899.88 

$76,256.56 
$2,319.74 

$68,696.82 
$2,600.00 

Secretary,  stenographer,   book- 
keeper, librarian  

3,372.23 

3,699.69 

3,341.93 

Heads  of  departments 

18  808  43 

13  499  67 

10  369  70 

Assistants  

6  633  42 

7  433  19 

6  00?  76 

Labor  in  departments  *  

7,157.18 

3,208  79 

2  949.92 

Postage  and  stationery 

977  77 

388  75 

299  73 

Printing   

770  14 

942  10 

864.47 

School  furniture 

2  549  88 

137  54 

241  17 

Apparatus    .. 

37  005.98 

1  596  08 

1  344.90 

49.70 

118.43 

94.25 

Library  and  reference  books 

2  860  44 

139  23 

271.68 

Guide 

91  50 

Campus  services 

328  10 

576  66 

Janitors 

1  382  92 

2,809  01 

2,364.61 

Fuel       

3,435.55 

6,049.42 

4,606.29 

O5J,  etc  

131.34 

193.39 

85.64 

Other: 

5  893.82 

726.56 

Implements  and  tools 

2  562.99 

39.33 

Supplies 

13,174.16 

9,610.28 

7,276.24 

9,190.31 

8,292.40 

Improvements 

2  262  69 

1  371  85 

Repairs  

961.04 

483.92 

$1111,236.48 

$65,030.27 

$52,590.02 

Balance       

$20,397.12 

$11,226.29 

$16,106.80 

*  Engineer,  farm  foreman,  matron,  only  in  last  two  years 
t  For  period  Jan.  1,  1912,  to  June  30,  1913. 


—  61  — 


The  fiscal  year  of  the  school  corresponds  with  the  calendar  year. 
Up  to  the  time  of  the  change  in  administration  the  superintendent  of 
the  school  made  a  quarterly  financial  statement  to  the  county  school 
board.  The  last  report,  made  December  31,  1915,  reported  for  the 
whole  year.  The  accounting  divisions  are  shown: 


Statement  for  year  ending  Dec.  31,  1915. 

Receipts: 

Amount  on  hand  Dec.  31,  1914 $122.55 

1/5/15     Sales    9,999.90 

State  aid    7,000.00 

1st  quar.  allowance  for  sals,  and  supplies.  8,406.00 

4/7/15     2nd  quar.  allowance    8,406.00 

Entire  allowance  for  equipment 10,570.00 

7/22/15  3rd   quar.  allowance    8 ,406 . 00 

4/22/15  4th  quar.  allowance    8,406.00 


$61,316.45 


Disbursements 

Administration : 

Office   $6,231.65 

School  in  general 4,338.32 

$10,569.97 

Academic  subjects,  department  of 2,427.52 

Dairy                                      "             7,557.33 

Domestic  economy,             "             3 ,433 . 53 

Dormitory                                             4,673.20 

Farm                                                     6,135.27 

Farm  mechanics                   "              3,424.58 

Library                                                  1,291.08 

Horticulture                          "             4,390.45 

Light,  heat  and  power                     8,608.41 

Music                                     "             300.41 

Poultry                                                3,185.25 

$55,997.00 

Balance $5,319.45 


—  62  — 
DETAIL  OF  DISBURSEMENTS 


Department 

Salaries 

Supplies 

Equipment 

Total 

Administration: 
Office 

$5  140.56 

$1  082  34 

$8  75 

$6  231  66 

School  in  general      .  .         

2,406.  16 

1  428  54 

503  62 

4  338  32 

Dairy   

4,093.22 

2,646.89 

817.22 

7  557.33 

Domestic  Economy 

2  518  14 

744  01 

171  38 

3  433  53 

Dormitory       .  .  .  <  

1,777.06 

2,633.08 

263.09 

4,673.20 

Farm 

4,002.69 

1,800.61 

331.97 

6,136.27 

Farm  mechanics  

2,810.96 

254.24 

350.38 

3,424.58 

Horticulture 

3  960.82 

242  83 

196.80 

4,390  45 

Library    

877.50 

115.21 

298.37 

1,291.08 

Light,  heat  and  power  

3,703.26 

4,  897.  IS 

8.00 

8,608.41 

Music        .             

253.33 

47.08 

300.41 

Poultry  

2,094.89 

546.91 

543.45 

3,185.25 

Academic  subjects    

2,399  92 

3.80 

23.80 

2,427.52 

$36,037.50 

$16,442.67 

$3,516.83 

$55,997.00 

History 

The  cost  for  the  first  year  of  operation  as  shown  by  the  reports  to  the 
state  superintendent  is  much  higher  than  for  any  other  year.  This  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  during  the  first  year  much  apparatus,  furniture  and 
supplies  were  bought.  It  is  also  to  be  noted  that  more  was  paid  for 
salaries,  probably  because  of  large  enrollment,  and  that  text  books  were 
purchased — a  policy  which  has  been  discontinued.  This  year  also  in- 
cludes receipts  for  a  previous  half  year.  Total  cost  has  decreased  since, 
but  so,  also,  has  total  enrollment. 

Receipts — analysis 

Of  the  $68,696.82  received  for  the  year  1914-15,  $7,000  came 
from  state  aid.  The  previous  year  the  state  aid  was  $8,000.  Even 
had  the  attendance  been  kept  up  to  the  1912-1  3  mark  a  change  in  the 
state  law  would  have  prevented  the  school  from  reciving  more  than 
$7,000  in  1914-15.  $55,423.43  was  the  appropriation  of  the 
county.  Of  this  $10,141.93  was  made  up  of  moneys  returned  by  the 
school  to  the  county-  This  money  came  from  sales  and  service  per- 
formed by  the  school,  such  as  sale  of  farm  products  and  dormitory  re- 
ceipts. To  the  extent  of  these  sales  the  cost  of  the  school  is  offset.  From 
tuition  there  was  received  $522.  Tuition  is  paid  by  the  counties  from 
which  the  pupils  come  and  is  charged  to  all  from  outside  of  Milwaukee 
County.  The  balance  item  was  originally  $1 1,226.29.  Of  this  the 


—  63  — 

county  board  withdrew  $5,474.90,  reappropriating  $5,751.39.  This 
report  is  made  out  so  as  to  end  in  the  middle  of  the  school's  fiscal  year 
and  it  is  probable  that  the  balances  do  not  mean  much  at  such  a  time. 
The  total  receipts  for  the  year  were  $68,696.82. 

Expenditures — analysis 

Total  expenditures  for  the  year  1914-15  were  $52,590.02.  Of 
this  capital  expenditures,  furniture,  equipment,  etc.,  cost  $3,956.16. 
Operation  expenditures,  $48,633,86,  were  divided  as  follows:  admin- 
istration, $5,941 .93;  instruction  salaries,  $15,372.46;  labor,  $13,- 
606.93;  supplies,  fuel,  etc.,  $12,364.15;  other,  $1,348.39.  The 
balance  remaining  was  $16,106.80.  According  to  the  superintendent's 
report  of  December  31,  1915,  the  amount  on  hand  at  the  end  of  the 
year  was  $122.55. 

Administration  takes  1 2  per  cent  of  the  total  operating  cost. 

Instruction  salaries  take  32  per  cent  of  the  total  operating  cost. 

Labor  takes  28  per  cent  of  the  total  operating  cost. 

Supplies  take  25  per  cent  of  the  total  operating  cost. 

Other  takes  3  per  cent  of  the  total  operating  cost. 

These  percentages  and  figures  are  surprising.  Only  32  pet  cent  of 
the  total  operating  expense  goes  into  teaching  salaries.  Only  a  slightly 
smaller  percentage  goes  for  labor.  Supplies  cost  25  per  cent.  That 
the  salary  proportion  would  be  smaller  in  an  agricultural  school  than  in 
an  ordinary  secondary  school  is  to  be  expected.  The  labor  item  would 
be  expected  to  be  high,  also.  But  whether  the  difference  should  be  so 
large  is  another  matter.  If  farming  were  done  on  a  large  scale,  as  sug- 
gested in  the  preceding  chapter,  this  proportion  might  be  justifiable,  for 
then  more  of  the  labor  would  actually  be  teaching.  The  reasons  for  the 
relatively  small  proportion  for  instructional  salaries  and  the  relatively 
large  proportion  for  labor  and  supplies  will  be  found  in  the  cost  of  the 
upkeep  of  the  too  extensive  plant,  in  the  amount  of  hired  labor,  and  in 
the  completeness  of  the  supplies  purchased. 

Extension 

The  cost  of  extension  has  already  been  approximately  worked  out  in 
the  chapter  on  extension  (Chapter  XI) .  No  separate  account  is  kept  for 
this  item.  The  estimated  cost  of  $8,105-64  is  distributed  among  the 
various  other  items  both  in  the  report  to  the  state  and  in  the  report  of  the 
superintendent  to  the  board.  As  soon  as  possible  extension  costs  should 
be  separated  from  other  costs. 

Per  capita  costs 

An  accepted  basis  for  calculating  per  capita  cost  has  not  as  yet  been 
anywhere  worked  out.  Whenever  such  costs  are  given  they  must  be  ac- 


—  64  — 

companied  with  an  explanation  of  the  method  used,  and  what  the  cost 
found  means.  In  this  report  per  capita  costs  will  be  given  on  several 
different  bases. 

1.  Gross  per  capita  cost  (all  expenditures  divided  by  average  daily 

attendance) . 

2.  Gross  operating  cost  per  capita  (eliminating  capital  expenditures). 

3.  Gross  operating  per  capita  cost  (including  interest  on  investment). 

4.  Per  capita  coot  as  in  3  but  eliminating  extension  and  reducing 

average  daily  attendance  by  eliminating  extension  students. 

5.  Per  capita  cost  to  taxpayers  (as  in  4  but  eliminating  also  amounts 

offset  by  sales). 

Numbers  4  and  5  are  the  two  methods  which  are  recommended  as 
accounting  in  the  most  satisfactory  and  complete  way  for  all  considera- 
tions. Number  4  is  the  total  cost  per  student  in  regular  attendance. 
This  gives  everything  without  regard  to  source  of  funds.  Number  5 
gives  total  cost  to  taxpayers  and  should  be  used  in  determining  net  cost 
to  the  county  and  state.  The  first  three  methods  are  given  for  purposes 
of  illustration  and  explanation. 

Before  giving  the  results  and  methods  for  each  of  these  bases,  we 
shall  insert  the  method  worked  out  by  the  superintendent  of  the  school 
and  the  result  submitted  to  the  county  board  of  administration  in  a  letter 
dated  January  28,  1916. 

Total  available  for  year  1915 $61,194.00 

Appropriation  for  equipment $10 ,570 . 00 

Keturned  to  county  treasurer 10,110.05 

Supplies  on  hand  January  1,  1916 1,100.00 

Deficit  made  up ,2,500.00 

Total  deductions    24,280.05 


Total  operating  cost  1915 $36,913.95 

Conservative  estimate  of  value  of  extension  work 

(1/6  of  total  operating  cost) 6 , 152 . 32 

Cost  of  instructional  work $30,761. 63 

Cost  of  instructional  work  per  quarter 7,690.40 

Total  enrollment  regular  students 198 

Cost  per  capita  last  quarter  1915  (dividing  cost  per 

quarter  by  total  enrollment) $38.84 

Does  not  include  work  with  dependent  home  children.      40  enrolled. 
This  method  is  subject  to  several  vital  criticisms. 

1 .  It  is  based  on  appropriations  instead  of  on  expenditures — that  is, 
it  gives  what  it  is  expected  the  cost  will  be  rather  than  what  it  is. 

2.  The  deduction  for  equipment  assumes  that  equipment  is  not  a  cost. 
Either  the  total  equipment  or  a  proportional  charge  should  be  included. 
Actual  expenditures  for  equipment  in  1915  were  $3,516.83. 


—  65  — 

3.  No  allowance  is  made  for  capital  invested. 

4.  Supplies  on  hand  are  deducted,  though  the  supplies  items  is  an  an- 
nual cost  and  this  same  amount  may  have  been  carried  over  from  the 
previous  year. 

5.  Returns  to  county  treasurer  are  deducted.       (This  is  an  explana- 
tion, not  a  criticism.      It  means  that  the  cost  found  is  a  net  cost  to  tax- 
payers, not  a  total  cost  of  teaching  the  pupil.) 

6.  While  cost  of  extension  is  subtracted  the  total  enrollment  given 
includes  some  whose  work  was  considered  in  extension  cost. 

7-  Cost  per  quarter  is  determined  by  dividing  total  cost  by  four, 
though  students  are  at  school  for  only  three  terms,  which  would  corre- 
spond to  three  quarters.  If  the  cost  per  quarter  is  multiplied  by  four 
to  find  the  annual  per  capita  cost  this  criticism  does  not  hold. 

8.  Total  enrollment  is  used  as  a  divisor.  Total  enrollment  is  no  in- 
dication of  actual  attendance.  It  puts  the  two  weeks'  student  on  the 
same  basis  as  the  year  student.  Average  daily  attendance  is  the  near- 
est approach  to  actual  attendance.  Average  daily  attendance  for 
1914-15  including  some  extension  students  was  1  18. 

Method  No.  /* 

This  is  the  simplest  and  least  scientific  way  possible.  It  is  given  here, 
merely  because  it  is  so  often  used  by  those  who  are  not  familiar  with  ac- 
tual conditions.  The  total  expenditures  are  divided  by  the  average 
daily  attendance. 

Total   expenditures    $52,590.02 

Average  daily  attendance 118 

Cost  per   pupil $445 . 68 

This  figure  cannot  be  taken  as  actual  per  capita  cost.  It  does,  of 
course,  represent  the  amount  of  money  which  would  not  be  spent  if  the 
school  were  not  in  existence. 

Method  No.  2 

In  this  case  we  follow  the  method  of  No.  1  but  eliminate  expendi- 
tures for  capital 

Total  expenditures $52,590.02 

Capital  expenditures   3 , 956 . 16 

Operating   expenditures    $48 , 633 . 86 

Average  daily  attendance 118 

Cost  per   pupil $412 . 15 

It  is  assumed  here  that  capital  expenditures  are  not  charges  that  can 
be  considered  in  cost  per  student.  If  there  were  new  buildings  their 


•  All  fig-ures  used  in  this  and  following:  methods  are  lor  1914-15.  For 
reasons  already  given  average  daily  attendance  will  be  used  for  num- 
ber of  pupils. 


cost  would  here  be  excluded.  So,  also,  with  any  charge  on  past  invest- 
ment. This  method  is  open  to  the  same  objections  as  the  preceding 
one. 

Method  No.  3 

Total  expenditures  $52 , 590 . 02 

Capital  expenditures  3 , 955 . 16 


Operating  expenditures    $48 , 633 . 86 

Add  interest  on  investment  (346,000  at  5%) 17,300.00 


$65,933.86 

Average  daily  attendance 118 

Cost   per   pupil $558 . 76 

In  figuring  cost  per  pupil  money  invested  for  necssary  land,  build- 
ings and  equipment  is  part  of  actual  cost.  All  of  this  cannot  be 
charged  to  the  students  attending  in  the  year  when  purchased  or  built, 
for  in  that  case  1912-13  pupils  would  have  been  charged  with  an  in- 
vestment cost  of  over  $300,000.  The  equitable  way  is  to  distribute 
it  according  to  benefit,  and  perhaps  the  best  way  of  doing  this  is  by 
means  of  an  interest  charge.  If  the  term  is  not  felt  to  be  suitable, 
some  other  name  (e.  g.,  capital  percentage,  investment  charge)  may 
be  used. 

Method  No.  4 

Total   expenditures    $52 , 590 . 02 

Capital  expenditures  3 ,956. 16 


Total    operation    $48 , 633 . 86 

Deduct  extension  (1/6  of  total  operation) 8 , 105 . 64 


$40,528.22 
Deduct   dormitory    4 , 400 . 00 


Net  operation  for  regular  pupils $36 , 128 . 22 

Average  daily  attendance 108 

Cost  per  pupil   (without  capital  charge) $334.52 

Capital  charge  per  pupil 160 . 19 

Total  cost  per  pupil $494 . 71 

This  last  figure,  $494. 7 1 ,  is  the  total  cost  per  year  for  teaching  one 
pupil.  It  is  the  figure  which  should  be  used  when  sources  of  funds 
are  not  considered.  It  is  the  answer  to  the  question — "What  is  the 
total  cost  of  educating  one  pupil  one  year?"  The  average  daily  at- 
tendance is  reduced  to  1 08.  The  original  figure  of  1  1 8  includes  some 
that  are  for  cost  purposes  considered  as  extension.  All  short  and  spe- 
cial course  students,  including  summer  session  and  dependent  home  pu- 
pils, are  called  extension  in  dealing  with  extension  cost.  This  is  in  ac- 


—  67  — 

cordance  with  the  policy  of  the  school.  Since  extension  cost  is  elim- 
inated, extension  pupils  should  also  be  eliminated.  It  is  usual  in  figur- 
ing per  capita  costs  for  schools  not  to  include  a  capital  charge.  If  it 
is  desired  to  make  comparisons  with  other  schools,  it  is  safer  to  use  the 
figure  without  a  capital  charge  unless  it  h  known  that  the  other  schools 
have  made  such  a  charge.  Dormitory  cost  is  deducted  because  the 
cost  of  rooming  and  boarding  pupils  is  not  part  of  teaching  and  it  is  off- 
set by  receipts  from  pupils  for  this  purpose. 

Method  No.  5 

Total   expenditures    $52 ,590 . 02 

Deductions 

Capital  expenditures   $3,956. 16 

Extension   8 , 105 . 64 

Sales,   etc 10,141.93 

Total    .  22,203.73 


Net  cost  to  county  and  state $30,386.29 

Average  daily  attendance 108 

Cost  per  pupil  without  capital  charge $281.35 

Capital  charge  per  pupil 160 . 19 

Total  cost  per  pupil $441.54 

The  difference  between  this  and  No.  4  is  that  in  this  method  we 
find  the  total  cost  to  the  county  and  state  of  teaching  one  regular  full 
time  pupil.  To  find  this  there  is  deducted  from  total  cost  the  amount 
offset  by  moneys  returned  by  the  school  to  the  county  treasury. 
These  come  from  the  sale  of  school  products,  from  the  dormitory,  etc. 
The  final  figure  is  $441.54  and  is  the  correct  figure  to  give  when  the 
total  per  capita  cost  to  the  county  and  state  is  asked  for.  The  effort 
has  here  been  made  to  give  a  fair  and  complete  statement  of  per  capita 
cost.  Every  item  excluded  or  included  has  been  explained.  The 
method  used  by  the  superintendent  of  the  school  has  been  given  with 
reasons  why  it  is  considered  unsatisfactory.  The  method  and  result 
which  it  is  felt  are  the  most  scientific  and  thoro  have  been  indicated 
and  are  here  recommended  as  the  conclusion  of  the  survey.  Discussion 
of  these  costs  will  be  taken  up  in  the  summary  of  finances  at  the  end 
of  this  chapter. 

Per  capita  costs  for  the  three  years  of  operation  of  the  school 

In  finding  per  capita  cost  for  the  two  preceding  years  the  last  meth- 
od given  is  used.  Capital  investment  was  obtained  by  subtracting  from 
present  value  the  additions  made  each  year.  Extension  was  estimated 
at  $6,000  for  1912-13  and  $7,000  for  1913-14.  Average  daily 
attendance  was  reduced  to  1 40  the  first  year  and  to  1  30  the  second 


year,  so  as  to  eliminate  extension  pupils.     These  figures  are  all  as  ac- 
curate as  is  possible  with  available  data. 

1912-13    1913-14    1914-15 

Cost  per  pupil,  operation $335.98         $332.42         $281.35 

Cost  per  pupil,  capital  charge . .       103 . 93  131 . 54  160 . 19 

Total  per  pupil $439 . 91         $463 . 96         $441 . 54 

Operating  costs  per  pupil  decreased  slightly  the  second  year  and 
substantially  last  year.  On  the  other  hand,  capital  has  been  added  at 
a  rate  which,  when  considered  with  the  decrease  in  students,  has  forced 
up  the  total  cost  till  last  year's  exceeds  the  first  year's. 


Dormitory  costs 

The  dormitory  is  self-supporting  if  no  account  is  taken  of  the  in- 
vestment. That  is,  it  could  be  run  at  a  profit  as  a  private  business  if 
the  building  did  not  cost  anything. 

For  the  year  1915  receipts  and  expenditures  were 
Eeceipts 

Cash   (regular  roomers  and  boarders) $4,106.80 

Cash   (extra  meals) 223.95 

Transfers  from  other  departments 97.35 

Total    $4,428.10 

Total  expenditures    4,393.23 


Profit  $34. 87 

The  building  has  accommodations  for  forty  pupils.  The  highest 
number  in  residence  at  any  one  time  this  year  was  thirty-seven.  The 
present  number  is  twenty.  While  the  dormitory  for  the  year  is  self 
supporting,  if  investment  is  not  considered,  it  would  run  at  a  substan- 
tial profit  if  it  were  kept  full.  Residence  at  the  dormitory,  including 
board,  costs  $4.75  per  week.  The  question  which  comes  up,  and 
which  the  superintendent  is  considering,  is  whether  if  the  rate  were  re- 
duced more  pupils  would  not  reside  in  the  dormitory.  At  present  it  is 
run  on  an  unbusinesslike  basis. 


Class  costs 

By  class  costs  is  meant  pupil  cost  per  period  for  a  single  class.      In 
this  will  be  included  only  salary  cost.     The  method  used  in  finding  this 
is  as  follows 
Soils 

Nine  pupils  in  class 

Teacher's  salary  is  $1  13.33  per  month 


—  69  — 

Teacher's  salary  is  $1.03  per  class  hour 

(26  hours  of  instruction  per  week — 1 10  hours  per  month) 

Cost  per  pupil  per  hour,  $.  1  1 44 

($1.03  divided  by  9,  number  in  class) 

Cost  per  hundred  puipl  hours  $1  1.44. 

All  of  teaching  is  charged  to  instruction  for  all  of  the  work  that 
teachers  do — preparing  lessons,  correcting  papers,  outside  work,  class- 
room work,  etc. — is  either  directly  or  indirectly  instructional  work. 
The  teacher's  function  is  to  teach,  and  all  the  work  he  does  is  charge- 
able to  teaching.  A  possible  exception  is  extension  work.  This,  for 
direct  aid  to  farmers,  would  take,  according  to  the  superintendent,  one 
man's  time  two  days  a  week.  This  is  almost  negligible  for  the  whole 
faculty.  Special  classes  are  included  in  the  number  of  teaching  hours. 
Any  other  work  is  too  small  to  make  any  material  change  in  the  results. 
This  list  does  not  include  all  subjects.  Where  two  figures  are  given 

for  the  same  they  represent  different  sections. 

Per  100  pupil 

Per  pupil  period  periods 

Soils $.1144  $11.44 

Chemistry .0572  5.72 

Cereals     .0343  3.43 

American  History    .  1206  12 . 06 

Horticulture    .  0996  9 . 96 

Fruit  Growing .  1433  14.33 

Botany .0764  7.64 

Plant  Propagation   .0764  7.64 

Plant  Propagation   .  2292  22 . 92 

Civics    .2153  21.53 

Drawing    .1435  14.35 

Drawing .2463  24.63 

Drawing    .1076  10.76 

Forging .1076  10.76 

Forging .2463  24.63 

Carpentry .0700  7.00 

Dairy  Cattle    .1347  13.47 

Stock  Judging .1835  18.35 

Milk  Inspection    .0864  8.64 

English    .1165  11.65 

English    .0458  4.58 

Elementary  Poultry .  1049  10 . 49 

Sewing    .  0800  8 . 00 

Textiles .0889  8.89 

Advanced  Cooking .  1600 

Arithmetic    .  1350 

Household  Management .  2632 

Extension  Cooking .  0267  2 . 67 

These  costs  represent  only  the  instructional  salary  cost.  Some  of 
them  are  high  and  these  are  usually  due  to  high  salaried  men  with 
small  classes.  The  cost  of  stock  judging,  for  example,  $18.35  per 
hundred  pupil  periods,  or  $183.50  per  1,000  pupil  periods,  is  excess- 


ive.  This  class  has  eleven  pupils  and  the  teacher's  salary  is  $1,820 
a  year.  Such  cost  figures  kept  up  from  year  to  year  would  help  to 
show  where  costs  were  increasing  and  why. 


Accounting 

A  new  accounting  system  has  recently  been  installed  for  the  eight 
institutions  under  the  board  of  administration.  This  system  centralizes 
accounting  in  the  general  office.  Its  influence  will  be  seen  after  it  has 
had  time  to  work  thru  a  year  or  more. 


Purchasing 

Purchasing  has  also  been  centralized  to  some  extent.  The  school 
still  orders  directly  such  supplies  as  are  not  common  to  all  institutions. 
An  effective  checking  system  is  in  use  in  the  school  office.  An  experi- 
enced purchasing  agent  in  charge  of  all  purchasing  would  be  able  to  ef- 
fect savings  in  all  county  institutions. 


Budget  Methods  and  Procedure 

Budget  methods  used  are  indefensible.  The  faculty  submit  to  the 
superintendent  their  estimated  needs.  The  superintendent  revises  as  he 
sees  fit,  and  submits  them  to  the  board  of  administration.  After  they 
approve,  with  such  changes  as  they  desire  to  make,  the  estimates  are 
sent  to  the  board  of  supervisors.  The  superintendent  appears  before 
this  board  to  explain  the  budget.  After  it  is  passed  by  this  board  it  be- 
comes the  financial  authorization  for  the  year. 

The  budget  shows  only  requests. 

No  comparisons  are  given 

No  cost  figures  are  given 

No  other  supporting  information  of  any  kind  is  included 

No  investigation  is  made  by  any  higher  authority 

No  past  expenditures  are  shown 

Enrollment  and  attendance  figures  are  not  included 

Work  accomplished  is  not  shown,  nor  are  future  plans  with  esti- 
mated costs 

The  budget  is  merely  a  collection  of  estimated  needs.     The  first 
page  contains  the  summary 


—  71  — 


BUDGET,  1916— SUMMARY* 


Department 

.     Salaries 

Supplies 

Equipment 

Total 

Academic  subjects  

Administration 

$2,400.00 
4,870  00 

$3  025  00 

1225.00 
200  00 

$2,023.00 
8  096  00 

Dairv 

5,890.00 
4  290  00 

1  795  00 

1  385  00 

9,115.00 
7  470  00 

Domestic  ecoDomy  

2  515.00 

1  026.00 

265.0D 

3,806  00 

Dormitory  

1,70*  00 

1,006.  SQ 

2  606  00 

100.<)(> 

S,  806.  50 
4,410  00 

Farm  accounting  

2,004.00 
1,200.00 

2,750.00 
25.00 

85.00 

4,854-00 
1,310.00 

Farm  crops 

3  920  00 

963.00 

820  00 

5  723  00 

4,520.00 
2  800  00 

606  00 

ICO.  00 

6.S2S.OO 
3  525  00 

Horticulture       

4,644  00 

450  00 

f£5.00 

5,779.00 

Janitor  

11,320.00 

270.00 

1,890.00 

2.S6J.OO 
025.00 

140.00 

500.00 
120.09 

3,131.00 
1,188  00 

3  3GU  00 

6  338  4£ 

9  696  48 

Muric  

S,5W.OO 

9,898.48 

Poultry  aod  bee*  

m.<* 

2,360.00 

96.00 
«X>.00 

1.270.0O 

335.00 
4,315.00 

Totals  

$3tf,8l<).00 

$17,  918.4* 

$&  255  €d 

960,831  48 

$39,819.00 

$1$>097.98 

$5,  7.55.  00 

$63,071.98 

SUGGESTED  GENERAL  IMPROVEMENTS 


Fixing  up  road,— lighting  and  curb. 

Superintendent's  home  

New  heating  plant 

Auto  truck  

Green  houses  

Farm  tractor   


$1,500.00 
2,500.00 


£,000.00 
5,000.00 
1,000.00 


#1,000.00 
$1,300.00 


The  italic  figures  are  the  requests  which  were  denied.  The  figures 
above  are  the  actual  allowances.  It  is  noticeable  that  of  $37,000 
for  suggested  general  improvements  only  $1,500  was  allowed.  On  the 
information  given  these  reductions  must  have  been  arbitrarily  made. 
The  detail  was  given  in  the  following  form 


•Thin  table  as  taken  from  the  school  budget  does  not  -check  exactly. 


—  72  — 

Department  of  Academic  Subjects 
Salaries 

Head 

Extra  help   

Equipment 


($400  extra  help  for  new  instructor.     If  granted  1/3  of  salary 

chargeable  to  present  year) 
Department  of  Administration  and  School  in  General 

Salaries 


etc. 
Running  expense 


etc. 
Equipment 


etc. 

This  shows  the  entire  amount  of  detail  and  information  given. 
The  following  cuts  and  eliminations  were  made 

Department  of  Administration 

Bookkeeper   (bookkeeping  transferred  to  general 

office) $1,020.00 

Department  of  Domestic  Economy 

Sewing  laboratory  supplies .50 

Dormitory 

1  maid    300 . 00 

Groceries,   butcher,   milk 144.00 

Farm  crops 

2  hired  men  (6  mos.) 600 . 00 

Janitor 

1  assistant   janitor    $696 . 00 

1  janitor 90 . 00 

3  assistant   janitors    (students    9    mos. 

each)    540.00 

Extra  help  for  special  occasions 75.00 


$1,401.00 

This  total  was  cut 741 . 00 

Vacuum  cleaner  for  administration  building 500.00 

Light,  heat  and  power 

Engineer  from  1400  to   1200 200 . 00 

Music 

Salaries 300 . 00 

Supplies    , .  .  35 . 00 

Total  salary  cuts  below  requests    (not  reductions   on 

present  salary)    $3 , 161 . 00 

Total  supplies  budget  cuts 179 . 50 

Total  equipment  budget  cuts 500 . 00 

$3,840.50 
Suggested  improvements   cut 35,500.00 


—  TS  — 

Even  with  these  cuts  there  was  an  increase  over  1915  expenditures 
of  over  $5,000.00  and  this  in  the  face  of  a  decreasing  attendance. 
The  expenditures  for  the  year  1915,  as  shown  in  the  report  of  Decem- 
ber 31 ,  1 91  5,  are  given  in  the  early  part  of  this  chapter. 

Can  the  county  board  of  administration,  and  the  county  board  of 
supervisors  know  how  much  money  the  school  needs  without  a  com- 
parison of  expenditures  and  requests,  without  detailed  cost  figures  of 
the  kind  shown  in  this  report,  and  without  further  detailed  supporting 
data? 

The  budget  should  show  for  every  item  of  request  the  expenditures 
for  the  previous  year  or  two  years,  increase  or  decrease  requested  with 
reason  for  change,  and  a  program  of  work  expected  to  be  accomp- 
lished in  the  year  for  which  the  budget  is  made  with  estimates  of  costs 
for  this  work. 

Information  needed  by  budget  body 

Requests — detail  and  summary 

Past  expenditures — detail  and  summary 

Increases  and  decreases — detail  and  summary 

Reasons  for  changes 

Pei  capita  costs 

Class  costs 

Farm  costs — expenses  and  sales 

Departmental  costs  of  all  kinds 

Work  program  for  year 

Summary  of  Finance 

The  history  of  the  school  shows  that  ever  since  its  beginning  it  has 
been  working  on  an  inflated  basis  of  cost.  It  has  the  habit  of  extrav- 
agance so  firmly  fixed  that  it  feels  that  any  extensive  cut  in  its  support 
would  be  impossible.  Per  capita  cost  is  excessive.  $335.00  per  pu- 
pil per  year,  which  counts  no  charge  for  investment,  is  indefensible. 
That  such  cost  should  have  continued  year  after  year  is  due  to  infla- 
tion in  the  beginning  which  has  not  been  overcome,  small  and  decreas- 
ing number  of  pupils,  too  extensive  equipment,  inadequate  budget 
methods,  and  the  attempt,  perhaps  unconscious,  to  teach  boys  and 
girls  of  high  school  age  and  preparation  in  a  plant  suitable  for  a  small 
college.  Even  the  best  of  results  would  not  justify  the  cost,  and  the 
short-comings  noted  in  this  report  do  not  show  that  the  work  is  of  the 
best.  Cost  ought  to  be  very  materially  reduced  and  the  work  in  many 
directions  materially  bettered  before  the  taxpayers  of  Milwaukee 
County  can  feel  that  they  are  securing  returns  commensurate  with  their 
initial  and  annual  investment. 


FEOM    THE   PRESIDENT'S    OFFICE 
TO  THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 


YC  2 1 246 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


